Here's one of the other referral photos. We call him our little boxer- look at those fists! Also notice his fat cheek drooping down its so big...just like Peter.

Care Package

This morning we sent a care package off to Samuel in Taiwan. It included 2 baby blankets we slept with to pick up our scent, a giraffe rattle that Nina "played with" aka attacked furiously so its has her scent/fur all over it now...and a photo book with pictures of us. We also sent a couple disposable cameras so the Foster Mom can take ongoing pic's for us and some chocolates for her and the agency as well. According to the USPS, for a mere $35 he will receive it in 3-5 days.

Happy New Year!

Happy Chinese New Year! We are now ushering in the Year of the Pig. Sam was born in the Year of the Dog. Here's a description of "Dogs." (Source: http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/zodiac.html)

Year of the Dog

1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006
People born in the Year of the Dog possess the best traits of human nature. They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest, and inspire other people¡¦s confidence because they know how to keep secrets. But Dog People are somewhat selfish, terribly stubborn, and eccentric. They care little for wealth, yet somehow always seem to have money. They can be cold emotionally and sometimes distant at parties. They can find fault with many things and are noted for their sharp tongues. Dog people make good leaders. They are compatible with those born in the Years of the Horse, Tiger, and Rabbit.


In case you are interested, Annie and I are both Rabbits. Note that we are compatible with Dogs!


Year Of The Rabbit

1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999
People born in the Year of the Rabbit are articulate, talented, and ambitious. They are virtuous, reserved, and have excellent taste. Rabbit people are admired, trusted, and are often financially lucky. They are fond of gossip but are tactful and generally kind. Rabbit people seldom lose their temper. They are clever at business and being conscientious, never back out of a contract. They would make good gamblers for they have the uncanny gift of choosing the right thing. However, they seldom gamble, as they are conservative and wise. They are most compatible with those born in the years of the Sheep, Pig, and Dog.

Dossier on its way

We've sent off our dossier, which is basically a bunch of documents officially stating our intention to adopt Sam. And I do mean "Official." We had it all notarized, then had the US government certify that the notary is actually a notary, then had the Chicago office of the Taiwain government certify that it had been certified, and then sent it off to Seattle to have it all translated into Mandarin, and then on to Taiwan. Then we wired a truly scary amount of money to a distant account.

Wish us luck.

On a brighter note, we hope to receive more pictures and whatnot this week. Keep your fingers crossed!

Beaurocracy

So, we had a bit of a snag in the paperwork. A notary we used was doing things improperly, leading to a long, difficult day for Annie. She's been really patient and has stayed on top of all the mountain of paperwork, but this was frustrating for her. We had to wait for Annie's passport to get changed, and that delayed things. I think everything is handled now, but we'll see. Now our agency is translating everything into Chinese, and then sending it off to Taiwan.

On a brighter note, they apparently get updates around the middle of the month, so we might get some new pictures of Sammy next week. He's 10 weeks old already! He's aging so fast!

Super Bowl

Here's hoping they have a TV on in Taiwan. I don't want Sam to miss a chance to see a Bears Super Bowl win. And maybe see Uncle Joey in the stands!