We had a lovely afternoon...Jason got off school early (he worked on Saturday, so they got Wednesday half day)...
We took a drive to a little harbor nearby and then stopped off at a park where we had a birthday party for Asia-Faith...then on the way home we stopped off at the beach...it was so great watch the kids having such fun in the sand!
We didn't have a traditional birthday cake...so we bought some donuts and stacked those with a candle on the top...although the matches I took with were too wet (from the humidity)...so we couldn't light the candle...but Asia-Faith just pretended to blow the candle out...too cute!
Today we are celebrating Asia-Faith being in our family for 2 years!
2 years ago today, we boarded a train, headed for Taitung to go and meet our precious little girl for the first time...
It is amazing to watch her grow and become the little person she is...although we have come to realise that she has quite a tiger in her tank...Even the boys have commented that she is going to be a toughie when she gets older - no-one will want to mess with her! And she is quite the performance artist too....I think those little performances may get her an Oscar or 2 one day.
Then she has her gentile, loving side, where she wants to hug everyone, and calls her brothers "my boys"...and herself "mommy's baby, and daddy's baby"... she is such a sweet little girl...and I am so blessed to be her mommy.
Lately she has been talking a lot about where she was born and knows she was born in Taiwan, and her boys were born in South Africa, that the boys grew in my belly, and she grew in her birthmom's belly...She loves to look at the album I made for her with photo's of our forever family day, and listen to me telling the story about the day we brought her home...
Often these talks will lead to her talking about our little foster baby Doodlebug her friends Jade and Ben and their new little brother Daniel, all of whom she knows have also been adopted...I have a feeling there will be plenty more questions and little talks in time to come...
Well, since our adoption journey has come to an end...(there is only one more step left and that is to get Asia-Faith's South African citizenship...but that could still be a long time coming)....so there won't be all that much to post here with regards to adoption, although I will still update here from time to time...
So, please follow along with our regular blog...where you can see what our Tribe is up to in Taiwan...
So I decided to try rag rolling Asia-Faith's hair (and mine too)...it is quite a nifty little technique that usually is done with rags, I on the other hand found a use for the cotton wool strips that I bought!
Asia-Faith sat very still during the whole process, and then went to sleep with them in and I took them out the next morning! She looked too cute! (Nothing new....she is always cute!)...
She has this little saying that she says lately to us that is too adorable...she says "I love you so so so so much 10 dollars" (or sometimes it is 20 dollars!)....very precious....
So on Friday our dear sweet landlord took me and the kids back to the Household Registry Department. We had been there a week before to fill in documents and such to get Asia-Faith removed from the Household Registry in Taitung and moved to one here in Hsinchu...
Anyway, there were a bunch more forms to fill out, but they were able to change her "birth" name to our family name and her new Chinese name...Mei Ya...and then they even asked if I wanted an English version of the document (for NT$ 150), so I said definitely, and then they said well for an extra NT$20 I can get 2 :) Although the English version will only be available in a weeks time...
However I did get the Chinese version so we were able to head straight from the Household Registry Department to a travel agency (I was told by my landlord this is the way it is done, so who am I to question...), anyway, we went to the travel agency to apply for Asia-Faith's Taiwanese passport! That will be ready in about 2 weeks time (because of the Double Ten day coming up it will delay the paperwork a bit), but we will have her Taiwanese passport soon!!! Then after the travel agency...we headed to the Hospital, to the Health Insurance Department and were able to change her Medical card name to her "new" name (took about 10 minutes if that!), and they will send the new card in about a weeks time!!!
Wow, I have to say...Taiwan is efficient!!!
Our next step, once we have all these documents and passport in hand is to send it off to our South African liaison office and they will then start paperwork for her to become a South African citizen and get her South African passport!!! Although this part of the journey could take a good few months!!!!
Asia-Faith is now officially, finally, without a question... OURS!!!!
Jason called me at lunchtime to let me know our landlord in Yilan had called him to say some documents had arrived yesterday and she was forwarding them on to us in Hsinchu.
I called Deana (http://mlchome.org) to let her know that I should be receiving them at least by Friday....and then shortly after that our new landlord knocked on my door with some mail for us...I immediately opened it up and since it was in Chinese asked her to read it for me...just to make sure it was the final decree and not a letter saying they need more info...and true enough...IT IS OUR FINAL DECREE!!!
So one year, 6 months, 2 weeks and 3 days later...she is ours, although she has always been ours in our hearts and in our minds...but it is just great to know that legally, on paper, she is ours!
The paper chase is not yet over....there are still a few things to be done, such as remove her from her current household registry, apply for her Taiwanese passport, and then apply for South African citizenship and passport....let the fun begin!
Well, on Friday, 8 August...we had to say goodbye to Doodlebug...he is now with his forever family...
It was a very sad day, well, actually a sad week, for our family as we had all grown very attached to him.
It was the first time I had been a foster mom, and honestly, I don't know if I could do it again.
For 4 months I rocked him to sleep, sang to him, tended to him as if he were my own, loved him as if he were my own, and tried to protect my heart...but before long he had crept in and now I know he will always have a special little place.
Our family still miss him lots, I miss his warm little body in my bed next to me (where he used to sleep), I finish doing dishes and think to myself I need to get Doodlebug's bottles ready for the night...only to remember he is no longer here...he was such a tiny little boy, but he has left such a big void....
~* For Doodlebug *~
I knew from the start this day would come, And I thought I’d be prepared to send you on I never knew it would be so hard, You see, you have crept into our hearts.
Your beautiful smile, your precious grin, The void you are leaving you can’t even imagine I would do it all again, you bet I would, For the memories you have left us are so very good!
Now my precious Doodlebug, We need to send you on, But please remember we love you, And forever stay strong!
~* Starr *~ 08/08/08
~* Follow Your Path *~
As I sit here holding you, Tears streaming down my face You are smiling and gurgling, Oblivious to the changing pace
Your are a delight and a joy, And you are one special boy Filled with love and laughter, Your memory will linger long after Your journey with us has come to an end, But your life is just beginning my little friend You have a new path, Follow it well Maybe one day our paths will cross, who can tell?
