I just had the most wonderful phone conversation with Laura (Families for Children Counselor). We spoke for an hour and a half all about preparation for the trip, what to see and do, how to care for baby while there, bonding strategies, what Faith's personality is like, Faith's birth mom and of course HOW ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE FAITH IS! I didn't want it to end. All the while I was typing as fast as I could to make sure I took note of everything! Of course I am at work at the time so she knew that it was cutting into work time and didn't want to keep me but I would have sat on the phone for hours. She had so much good information for us. It has made me even more so excited to go!
Through the adoption process I have tried not to hound and bother her to much with questions, phone calls and e-mails. We meet Laura at her home the first month into the adoption process @ 7 PM and we didn't get home until 2 AM. There was so much to go over, learn, stories to here. Laura is one of the most amazing women I will ever know. She has so much knowledge and love for Taiwan and St. Lucy's. It was a blast!
Other then that when she called about the referral and our travel date we missed both calls and she left voice mails (I felt bad). I have sent maybe four e-mails this whole time with questions or small comments but we have never had a phone call or spoke in person so it was due time for sure.
Well I wanted to quickly type down the information I was given before I forget it all. Here it goes, it is going to be quiet lengthy but SO GOOD!
We first discussed some of the questions I e-mailed her a few days ago in regards to some documents we are filling out for Faith's visa (legal stuff we take with us when we travel). We went through all of that and she explained that a Travel packet with itinerary would be coming for the day we go to St. Lucy's to pick up Faith. We would also get a list of things to do and some taxi cards, which make it much easier to get from here to there. We just jump in the taxi, hand them the card and they take us where we need to go. Some things are with in walking distance of the hotel we will be staying at so that will be nice. She want over the hotel and told me what it would be like and what to expect.
We covered the important travel stuff and paperwork. Then she started to tell me about Faith. Laura was just over at St. Lucy's a few weeks ago to help them move into their new building. She said Faith was sleeping for a couple of the hours she was there but then she was up and at it. Laura played with her and held her, took pictures of course and even said SHE HAS SOME VIDEO FOR US!!!!!!!!!! She said she has the best personality ever! She is very lively, curious, into things already, loves people and action. Laura said she is "very active". She said I will defiantly have my hands full (as if her daddy Lindsay is not enough, he-he!). She also said Faith is growing fast and very mature for her age. She is very alert and loves to laugh. She is a lot of fun and lovey. Most of the babies are OK on their own and being left alone. At St. Lucy's there are not enough care givers for one on one with babies. More like one care giver to three babies or more so when feeding they are left in crib or when playing they are on the floor with other babies. There is not a lot of holding or cuddling. They are independent for sure. She said that most babies need space and want to be on their own or don't cuddle much because they are not use to it but Faith will snuggle and cuddle with you. She is very loving. She said when Faith is done feeding she will just throw the bottle out of her crib (to funny!). When she wants something or sees something she goes after it (like her mommy). She said she has beautiful skin, perfect little round face and is small. She loves her thick hair, Laura said it is really curly so be prepared. She recommended some good shampoo she uses on her own little girl from St. Lucy's. She said I will need something to tame it a bit (CUTE!).
Laura said that the care givers told her that Faith's birth mother was in just before they moved to sign all legal documents and make it all final. Laura said that all mothers are required to come back one more time to sign everything and at that time can say goodbye to baby (this happens when the court process is final and there is no turning back, no one from the birth family can come back and take the baby or change their minds). Her birth mom came to visit and Sally and the care givers told Laura she was extremely beautiful. She was so lovely but that she was very short. Laura said although they are all short in Taiwan she was considered to be short to them even (she is very young but none the less short). They said that Faith defiantly looks just like her mother and they could see where Faith got her appearance (this is so comforting to know, some day I can share this with Faith and let her know she looked like her mom in every way). Lindsay and I hope that we might receive something from the birth mom when we go to pick up Faith to share with her some day like a picture of her. If not then we understand this is the Lords way/plan.
Laura told me that her birth mom held her and said good-bye and made the comment that Faith was "so cute".
Faith seems to be a favorite at St. Lucy's and everyone loves and adores her. Laura is so excited for us to experience the new center. She says it is beautiful, of course not like the old because of all the precious memories there and stories but it is an amazing new place with color and so many wonderful things. She said we will love it and she is excited for us to experience it and then come back and share it with her. She said the first family just went and Sally (who works for FFC and lives in Taiwan) said it was such an amazing experience to watch the family as they walked through the new center, how impressed they were. They were able to take their baby outside in the courtyard and sit on the grass and play with her. The experience was so need she said it brought Sally to tears.
Laura went over what Faith is eating now, how to bond with baby when we get her, what to expect from baby. She tried to help me and tell me all she has learned about Faith and that when we walk the streets of the city and get out she has a feeling Faith will love it and be totally into the sites and sounds around her. She will probably be happy.
Laura told me of the places I need to see and things I need to do. She thinks that because we are going down a few days early we should fly to Tainan a day or two early and stay the night. She said you will see and experience things you will never experience just staying in Taipei the whole time. She said all the tours and major site seeing you will do in Taipei is wonderful but to truly experience the culture, the people and the way they really live we should stay in Tainan for a night. She said it is SO beautiful and it is her favorite part of Taiwan. She knows of two places we must go to, a wonderful dumpling place close to the nice hotel we will stay in. She said the night market and watching the kids is absolutely wonderful and her favorite shopping is there. She said you will find the most beautiful materials for babies and adults there. She told me to do most of my shopping there and then what we can't find we can look for when back in Taipei. She said this is where the first people who discovered Taiwan arrived, it is close to the coast and we could take a drive out to the water. She said the museums are amazing and have items from the first settlers and boats made. This is a must! We are FOR SURE going to do this. She has gotten me SO EXCITED and SO READY! I can not wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is going to forward me all the tour info in Tainan and have Sally write us taxi cards and set us up in the hotel there. We can really experience the people and sites of where Faith's birth mom lives. Laura said it would be neat to come back and share it with the families and maybe more families would be more daring to try and do this. Not many families stay the night there, they worry and just do the same thing each time. This would be something different and fun. I CAN'T WAIT!
She did say to expect a lot of staring from the people there. She said they always look and point and whisper when she walks around and because I am taller and have red hair they will be very curious (to funny). They are very kind to Americans though.
I wish I could express/type everything we discussed word for word. I was so thrilled talking to her and preparing. She had nothing but good to say.
While we are visiting Taiwan Laura would like Lindsay to take a good look at the court yard and think about some idea's as to what they can build there for the lady's to sit in and get shade while babies play in the grass. Lindsay and his best friend Rory will be going over in the future (to Taiwan again) to do a service project and help them build maybe a gazebo or benches. We are thrilled at this opportunity and hope when the time comes we can have some money saved for my and little Faith to tag along. It would be amazing to have Lindsay build something for the center in donation and to be apart of something so wonderful. We want to help them in so many ways and although we don't have the money to give them we can do service. To have this experience and pictures to share with Faith would be so neat. We hope that when Faith is older we can take her back to visit a few times to experience where she is from.
Well this is just a little bit of the neat things we talked about and of course my favorite part was when she would talk all about Faith and her personality. I can not wait to hold our baby girl, tell her I love her, her daddy loves her, her birth mom loves her, and give her the world. I CAN'T WAIT, I CAN'T WAIT!
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