Feels like child-birth

I naively thought that bringing home an older baby would be less work and easier than giving birth and caring for an infant.  It's true that certain things are easier like she can sooth herself, sit, and sleep through the night.  However, due to jet lag and a change of environment, she is not able to sleep.  In China, even though there were crying and screaming, for the most part she slept the majority of the night.  In the US, she has been restless in her sleep and unable to sleep from 1 am to 4 am.  Since she is in our room, we can't sleep the entire night either.  We are so sleep deprived that we don't want to do anything but sleep during the day time.  Which is not helpful in getting over jet lag.  This week at home feels like the first week home from the hospital after giving birth to my boys.  All I do is attend to the baby day and night and don't feel like doing anything else but nap.  The boys have to be self sufficient while mommy and daddy are out-of-it. 

I still have the rash I mentioned earlier.  The itching is intense and unbearable.  I had to use anti-itch cream and take antihistamine.  I went to see my primary physician and just with one look, she determined that it was scabies, which is contagious.  I had a phone conversation with the doctor who specializes in adoption, she doesn't think so.  I went to a dermatologist today to get a second opinion, he did a biopsy and said that it was not scabies, but dyshidratic eczema.  I am so glad it is not contagious, but it itching is still there.  There is really nothing to heal it, I was only given steriod to control the inflamation. 

I feel like being sleep deprived and suffering discomfort is the passage to motherhood that I must go through.  With birth, I was sleep deprived and suffered from pain.  With adoption, I am also sleep derived but suffering from itch.  I see that there is no easy way to be a mother.  ;)

Other than the sleep thing, Mui-mui is doing well.  She likes to explore our house by crawling around, getting into everything, and putting everything in her mouth.  Her appetite is back and she loves jook.  When we first got her, she can only crawl via army style on her belly.  Now she is crawling normally and can get from the crawling position to a sitting position.  We also have the priviledge of seeing her first tooth.  When I brushed her gum the other day, I felt something sharp. 

Jet-lag

There is no place like home, it's so great to be back.  The boys are doing great with adjusting to this time zone.  But Karissa is really having and hard time.  So that makes the adjustment for Hebron and I harder.  Babies seem to have a really strong internal clock that is hard to change. She has been waking up at 1 am for the past three nights crying for many hours until her body is tired.  Which is why I am up at wee hours of the night.  Since she is up, I am up.  I am sooo exhausted during the day time, but I am trying not to sleep so that I would be tired at night.  The down side to this plan is that I don't get to sleep at night either.

I think being jet lag and not having enough sleep effected Mui-mui's appetite. She is eating alot less. Please pray that her internal clock would be change to this time zone quickly.

Red Couch Picture

It is a tradition that all the adopted kids dressed in traditional Chinese outfit and take a picture at the red couch in the lobby. I knew about this when watching a Lisa Lin special about china adoption, but completely forgot to get mui-mui her outfit. So she is the only one wearing Carter. It was a challenge to get all 20 plus kids to sit still long enough for a good picture. Of course there were crying and screaming involved. Then we all took a group picture with ALL the families. We will have to post pic after we return.

All the adoptive families from HOLT.

This is the family we were in Kunming with.

We got the visa we needed! So now we can leave. There are twelve families catching the train today, 12/23, to Hong Kong to spent a night so they can catch their flight tomorrow. We are the last one to leave since our flight is 10 pm tomorrow night, 12/24, to HK and then transfer to another flight at 1:30 am to SFO. When we get home everything will be closed for Christmas. Oh, I wish we can leave tonight so we can be home one day earlier, then I can run to the store for supplies and see the doctor.

Please pray for a safe and pleasant flight home. Especially pray that the kids, particularly Karissa will be able to over come jet lag and establish a good routine at home. Her body has a set schedule here. She takes a morning and afternoon nap and is usually ready for bed at 8:30 pm. Since our flight is at 10 pm China time, I am sure she will be sleeping. But we get home at about 10 pm PST, she probably won't want to sleep when we are suppose to.

Merry Christmas everyone! We will share more of God's blessing when we return. Can't wait to see you all.

Paper work done

Today we went to the US consulate and completed the final paper work and applied for a US visa for mui-mui. Now all we have to do is wait until they issue the visa and the necessary documents for entry. So three more days until we come home. All the kids are doing well. The boys are having a good time with children from other families. Karissa have completely warmed up to Hebron and will prefer him over other strangers. Please pray for me (Kitty), I have developed rashes on my hands and feet that itches. I am not sure if it is an allergic reaction to something or a contagious condition. Please pray that the boys and mui-mui don't get it. I see a small rash developing at the corner of mui-mui's mouth, I hope it's nothing serious and won't effect her appetite.

While we are waiting for our visa, our agency have arranged many activities for us. We went to the zoo and on a safari ride. They have many animals that we don't have at the Oakland zoo, like white tigers, koalas, and pandas. Tomorrow we will go on a ferry ride and eat Papa John's pizza. We all miss home.

Safari Ride

Panda Exhibit

Papa John's Pizza on Boat Cruise

Finally in Guangzhou

We have safely arrived in Guangzhou. There are about 20 families here from Holt (our adoption agency). It's great to see all the families with their adopted babies. Karissa is the youngest, most are between 1.5 to 3 yrs. One family adopted a five year old little girl that is sooo sweet and happy. Her parents told us that when she first met them she gave them a kiss and called them baba mama. She was sooo excited to be adopted that she showed everyone at the orphanage the picture of her new family. Another family adopted two boys in their teens. We also met a few families in the same situation where the child only allows one parent to care for her. Misery loves company, so I feel much better and less depress that we are not alone. Karissa has improved in that aspect. After some complaining, she will allow Hebron to feed her milk. And he can hold her when I am not around. So I leave them alone to have some bonding time. Our tour guide arranged a shopping day, so I went with the group and left the kids with Hebron. The boys took a good nap and Karissa had fun with daddy. She will even play with him now, but still prefers me. I am sooooo relieved. Thank you for your prayers. I can really feel God's protection upon us.

First day here, we did alot of paper work already. We went to take another passport photo for visa purpose. Then we took Karissa to a clinic for a brief physical exam. Lastly, we filled out paper and got ready to see the Consulate. Everything seems to be close to the hotel so we walked to all these places.

White Swan hotel is a really nice five star hotel. They offer really good breakfast buffet. There are omelet, pancake, bacon, pizza, nuggets, variety of dim sum, congee, yogurt, bread, fruits, noodle, and much more. I definitely gained weight. We would have never booked such fancy hotel on our own. It seems like all adoption agencies use this hotel. Every business around this hotel caters to adoptive families. It is an industry in itself. Restaurants have baby menu offering baby food such as congee and pureed food. There are baby stores all over. Some stores even offer to do laundry at a low price and even loan out baby stroller. We met a store owner who is a believer, so we brought our laundry to her. She gave the kids toys and let us borrow a brand new stroller for free. Of course I feel bad, so I bought some souvenirs from her.

Orphange tour

Today, we visited the orphanage where Karissa was from. Actually, she hasn't been at that orphanage for the past few months, because in Kunming, their practice is to wait until a child is six months old, and then send them to a foster family to live until they get adopted. Usually, a foster family will have three kids from the orphanage under their care. The three kids' age will usually be spread out. Karissa was the youngest in her foster family.

Back to the orphanage. This one is in charge of 600 kids, but only 100 of them will be at the orphanage, as the remaining 500 of them will be at foster care. The orphanage is still in charge of those 500, as they will send someone out every week to see how the foster kids are doing. We are actually really impressed by the facility and the level of care provided by this particular orphanage in China. The staff to baby ratio is probably 1 to 5, so it is pretty decent. They feed them milk and porridge everyday, and they do try to give them some individualized attention by playing and interacting with the kids. Some of these babies are so cute and adorable. It just makes you want to take them all home! The facilities are pretty new and clean as well, and there is a doctor on-site. We are glad our child came from this environment, as there are some orphanages in China where multiple babies have to share a crib and babies are often left in soiled diapers on a high chair throughout the day. Even though this facility is very good, each of those babies are still desperately waiting for a permanent home with a loving family. We are blessed to be one of those parents who can take one of these little lives home.

Adjustment is tough

Just like child birth, I tried to be prepared for the adoption journey by reading a lot of books. But no book prepared me emotionally for how hard things are. On the first day, I shared that she is calm, does not cry much, and a good sleeper. Well, all that changed. Everything seemed to have gone down hill slowly on a daily basis. On the first day, I only have to be in the room with her. On the second day, I have to sit next to her or else she will cry. On the third day, sitting next to her is not enough, I have to hold her. Now the fourth day, holding her is no longer enough, I have to walking around while holding her. Otherwise, she will scream and get frustrated. Sleeping is bad too. On the first night she fell asleep by herself. On the second night, she cried alittle. On the third night, she screamed at the top of her lungs for 30 mins so I would pick her up. And I did. Tonight she again cried and needed help going to sleep. She also sleeps a lot less. The most tiresome part is that she requires only me to care for her. She wouldn' t let Hebron come near her. I can't do anything but holding her and be by her side. I have things to do that I can't do because she needs my 24 hrs attention. I want to care for the boys too, but I can't. As soon as I step a few inches away from her, she cries. Honestly, I am a little emotionally drained. She cries constantly now. The weird thing is that the foster family and orphanage worker said that she is really good, she is calm and plays by herself. She definitely changed and I don't know how to help her. Please, please, please pray that she will form a healthy bond with me and not need me to be by her side all the time. Also pray for patience and endurance on my part. Pray that she will allow Hebron to care for her since I will be back to work in mid January. Also, please pray that she will be fair temper and be able to go to sleep on her own.

Cross Bridge Rice Noodle Soup

We ordered the wrong noodle soup the disastrous noodle house visit last time. We were suppose to order cross bridge noodle soup. We told our tour guide of our experience and she suggested another noodle house. Hebron loves those noodle sooooo much that he insisted that we try it. So we went to another noodle house at 5 pm to beat the dinner crowd. This place actually have English menu. So we ordered the cross bridge noodle. Thankfully they brought our food to us.

The legend behind cross bridge noodle soup in Kunming is that a long time ago there was a scholar in Kunming studying for the imperial exam to enter the palace to be the King's advisor. He found a good place to study in a pagoda in the middle of the lake. His wife would cross the bridge to bring him food everyday. He complained all the time about her food. Until one day she made him chicken soup. She separated the chicken stock from the meat, vegetables and rice noodle so things won't get soggy. The husband loved it so much that he request to eat that everyday. After a long time of studying, he made his way to Beijing to take the imperial exam which he passed and became the King's advisor and got rich. People here like to eat this noodle before major exam for good luck. That is why there is a cross bridge noodle house in every corner. As you can see, the meat, vegetables, and noodle is separate from the chicken stock. We are suppose to combine it ourselves. It is really good.

Stone Forrest

Our first excursion as a family is our trip to Stone Forrest. Along, with another adoptive family we chartered a bus that took us on a two hour ride (one way) to see the natural lime stone forrest. This place is one of a few natural wonder in China. It was the bottom of the ocean some 2 plus million years ago. It is now a tourist attraction and the govt built a lake and paved road. I will post better pictures when we return. All the kids had a great time. If it wasn't for the bus and our tour guide, I would not tour China with three kids. Everyone stared at us everywhere we went. I think it because of our three kids. Everyone has only one child here, they must think we are insane. Some said in a nice way that it's alot of work.

Karissa is doing well with us. She is more vocal and smiles more now compared to day one. She is so attached to me (Kitty) that she won't let me put her down. I can't even go the bathroom without her crying. So of course showering is out of the question. I have to wait until she is asleep. Please pray that she will allow Hebron to care for her. It seems like he can hold her only in the morning. After 9 am, I am the only one. For some reason she is sleeping less. Please pray that she will sleep more and be over her cold.

Gotcha Day

Gotcha Day is the term the adoption community uses to refer to the day we receive our babies. The day went really smoothly. At 8 am, the escort took us to the Dept of Civil Affairs. At 9 am, we received our little angel, Karissa Faith Mak. We spent a few hours there to complete paperwork and signed our life away. The boys were quietly playing with our iPhone. It's good to know that we are not the only crazy one. We met another family that also brought to youth boys. Then, we went to take passport picture for Karissa and went to another govt office to apply for her passport. Then we all, with other adoptive family, went to lunch. After all the activities, we brave souls, took all he kids to Walmart to get baby supplies.

Karissa is very calm, does not cry much, and a good eater. She did not make a fuss the entire day. She got attach to me (Kitty) almost immediately. Perhaps I looked like one of her caretaker. After we return to our hotel, she kept her eyes on me he whole time. Anytime I was away from her line of sight, she would cry, but she would stop when I return. Hebron tried to give her a bottle when I was in the shower, she wouldn't take it. She cried so hard that her face turned red and she got sweaty. She slept through the night on the her first night with us, from 8:30 pm to 5:30 am. We feel soooo blessed to have her. The boys are great brothers. They gave her toys and entertained her when I have things to do. Joshie even stood next to the bed to make sure she won't fall. Please continue to pray for us. Karissa is sick and on medication. Hebron and the boys also have a bad cough.

Eating like a local

We have one free day in Kunming before all the activities. We thought we would explore the city and find some good eats. Our first meal was in a restaurant that serves American and Chinese food. We spent $20, so it's like Chinatown prices. Hebron thought that we shouldn't have to spend that much a meal if we eat like the locals. So our search for local food begins. Noodle soup shouldn't be hard to find. So we took the boys on a walk, in the rain, to find lunch. We walked many many blocks but no food in sight. The streets are filled with cell phone stores and clothing stores. Finally, we saw some people caring take out boxes, so we walk toward that direction. We found a small noodle shop selling only rice noodle soup with chicken for 6 RMB ($1 is 6.6rmb). The store resembles a street vendor. Order is taken in one window and food is picked up in another. Then you can add any toppings you want. I opted not to add any topping since the items were sitting out for who knows how long and people might have their hands in it. Since the soup is hot, it should be safe to eat. The locals ate there sitting on little stools on the street. Hebron was looking after the boys, so I had to handle four soups while people behind me is speaking in loud voices and pushing me forward as the line is getting long. We decided that it was better to bring back and eat at the hotel. It was such an adventure that I don't think I want to do it again.  Bring it back to the hotel to eat is both comfortable and safe.

When the boys was napping, Hebron went exploring for a noodle house that will serve us, like in Chinatown. He came back saying that he found a noodle house and a large food court area. Great! No more street food. So we went to the food court looking for dinner. Most vendors are selling food that I don't recognize and they lay it all out in the open. I opted not to eat it because it looked unsafe and again it is self served. So we went to the noodle house since we saw waiters and people sitting and being served. The place was full so we have to venture upstairs. The waiter told us that you have to order downstairs and get a receipt. Ok, perhaps then they will bring food to us. So I went to downstairs to order. Of course the menu is in Chinese with no picture. I only have limited ability to read traditional Chinese and they write in simplified Chinese. It seems like everyone was eating noodle in red soup, which means it it spicy. So I have to be careful not to order those. I was finally able to figure out that they have mushroom chicken noodle soup, so I ordered three bowls, a total of 18 RMB. I then took my receipt upstairs and gave it to the waiter. She looked at my receipt and told me that I have to downstairs to pick up my food. Are you kidding me? After all that I have to serve myself again. So I ventured downstairs again and saw that there are three pickup windows. I choose one and they motioned me to another one. Then I moved over, the guy was asking me some questions that I don't understand. After repeating a few times, I finally figured out from context that he is asking me do I want thick or thin noodle. I watched him prepare the food and he put a whole spoon full of white powder in before he poured in the soup. What the heck is that? Perhaps powder MSG? I hope it is not melamine. Because the soups are so huge Hebron had to bring them upstairs. After all the excitement, I was no longer hungry. Not sure why we were not served and others were. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing. Well, no more eating like the locals. I will have to post pix after I get back because I can't go over my data allowance.

Our time in Shanghai

We arrived at 12 am local time in Shanghai on Dec 9. Everyone was a zombie due to the lack of sleep. The 14 hrs plane ride to Hong Kong went amazingly well. The boys watched alot of TV, did some homework, and took two short naps. Hebron and I didn't sleep much, so the 2 hrs connecting flight from HK to Shanghai was really hard because we all should be staying up so we can actually fall asleep after we arrive. So we were all zombies and I can hardly keep my eyes open.

Hanging out with the Kims is alot of fun. Both P Jason and Krista took Friday off to take us around town. We started the day with Krista making us an all American breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. The boys loved it and it made them feel at home already. Elizabeth is such a big girl now. She talks like Krista but much more dramatic. She actually walks to school by herself. Their gated community is safe with security guards and the school is just right across the street. I am just so at awe that she is so grown up.

We spent the rest of the day touring the Kims' community, visited Carrefour (which is like our super Walmart), went shopping. Pearls are a good deal here. I got my mom a real 8 mm salt water pearl necklace for a little over $100. It's over $1000 at Costco. We also took the subway and tuk tuk (it's an electric rick shaw). On day two, we went to downtown Shanghai and had the best po tat I ever had. It's basically an egg tart but with flaky skin. The egg filling was warm and creamy, the skin was flaky and buttery. Mmmm..... This is coming from someone who does not like egg tart.

On Friday night, the Kims invited a family over for dinner to meet us and that family brought their friends who is also missionaries in China that are visiting Shanghai. The Kims does not know this out-of-town family. During dinner conversation, we learned that this out-of-town family is passing by Shanghai on the way to visit family in the bay area. And get this, they are missionaries in Kunming, the city where Mui mui is. No one knew they live in Kunming before this dinner. They gave us tips, told us where to go, and calmed our fears. Before we started the trip we pray that God would go before us. We claimed the Lord's promises in Isaiah 45: 2-3 which says, "I will go before you and will level the mountains...so that you may know that I am the Lord your God." God answered our prayer and assured us of His guidance by allowing us to meet this family from Kunming. This is not a coincident but a plan within God's will.

test

First post in china

Testing iPhone app

My work gave me an international phone plan, I hope I can blog there using my phone. I don't like the fact that I may not be able to be connected to technology. Just finished packing. I hope I got everything.

Journey to the East

After two and a half weeks of buying things and packing for our trip, I think we are ready to go.  Our packing list is double column, two pages long.  We are bringing anything and everything you can think of for the just-in-case scenerios.  Beside the regular baby stuff like bottles, formula, diapers, infant feeding things, and clothes, we have toys for the boys, homework, and snacks.  And not to mention a whole pharmacy.  Our medicine bag is full of all kinds of medication for kids and adult as I am trying to prepare for everything possible.  We were advised to bring gifts.  So we have a suitcase full of Made in USA stuff to give away.  I feel like a Santa Claus.

Beyond the excitement, there are lots of fears and anxieties (but don't mention it to the boys).  Alot of people have given me tips on how to be safe in China and I appreciate it.  But hearing those stories made me nervous.  Someone told me that in GZ and through out China people would kidnap boys and sell them to the country side as labor or dismember them and make them beg for money.  Oh my, how horrible and I am bringing my precious sons to THAT city?  I don't want to cause them any harm or what if they get terribly sick?  I always keep my eyes on them, but I feel like I have to carry them and hold them tight.  But how can I do that now that we have three?  I've even asked my mom to make two leash type of thing so I can put one end on me and one end on the boys.  Just thinking about it paralzes me.  So I have to refocuses my attention on the loving and powerful Creator.  I have to remind myself that God is good and that He will not give me more than what I can bear.  It was He who called us to this journey and He alone is in control of the entire process.  I am reminded that God has blessed us every step of the way thus far, from the quick and smooth paperwork to the miraculous financial provision.  I've prayed that He would go before us and smooth out our path.  I know He will. 

Just one final exam to go and we will be off.  I hope to have internet access so I can continue to update this blog.  Please pray for the following:

1. Safety flying there and back and that the kids will be able to handle the long flight.
2. Safety within China for the reason mentioned above and that we all would stay healthy.  And also protection from theft.
3. Good bonding with Mui-Mui  so that she would form an attachment with us and that she will know that we are her parents now. 
4. Quick recovery from jet lag there and back.  Good sleep when it's time to sleep so we all will have the energy to do what we have to do.  I've heard that it's really rigorous.
5. Opportunity to share Christ with people we come in contact with.  When I am busy, I tend to only focus on my needs and the task at hand.  Please pray that God will open up my eyes to those who are ready and willing to receive the gospel.

Blogger iPhone App (take one)

Just downloaded an iPhone app for us to use in China to blog about our journey. Let's see whether this thing works or not.

A coworker knitted the hat for our little girl. How cute!

We have a departure date

We've just booked our tickets and are leaving on December 8th.  After a whole day of calling travel agencies, we have finally booked our tickets.  There are no direct flight so there must be layovers.  On the way there, we will be stopping by Shanghai for a night before going to Kunming to pick up Mui-Mui. We will then travel with three kids to Guangzhou to finish paper work.  From there we will fly home stopping by Hong Kong.  We should be home on Christmas Eve.  So Mui-Mui will be home for Christmas. 

Just thinking about going so far with so many kids really makes me nervous. There are so many things to prepare for and wrap-up before we leave.  Please pray for the following:

• Kitty still have a paper and final exam to complete before leaving.  Pray for diligence and efficiency.
• Hebron and Kitty both need to finish our project at work before the trip.  So please pray that we have enough time to still do a good job.
• Pray that we will adequately pack as there are lots to bring.
• Pray for good health for everyone while we are there.
• Pray for adjustment to time change there and back. 

Experienced Big Brother

I just have to share this, I am so proud of Cb.  The boys are sharing a room now and they often talk before falling asleep.  When C woke up this morning he told me that last night he taught J how to be a big brother.  So I asked him what he said.  He said he told Dai-dai that if Mui-mui cries, then give her a binky.  If her binky falls off, then help her pick it up.  If she continue to cry, then give her a toy.  If she still cries, then tell Mommy. 

C is such a good boy and good big brother.  What he taught J to do is exactly what he did for J.  The above picture is J when he was 7 months old and C was keeping him occupy. We actually also caught it on video.  One time J cried because he lost his binky, so C picked it up for him and stayed by his side to make sure J is happy.  C brought Dai-dai toys and even danced for him.  Makes me cry just thinking about what a good boy C is.

Travel Approval Received

We have been waiting for the travel approval from China to authorize us to pick up Mui-mui.  Yesterday, we got it!  God is so good.  The process has been fast and smooth thus far, exactly what we have been praying for.  The adoption agency immediate submited for us a request to travel on Dec 10th.  We are again waiting for that date to be approved.  Please pray specifically that we can travel on 12/10/2010 because that is the best date for everyone in our family.

The Miraculous Provision...

WOW! God had met ALL our financial needs; ALL $13K in only four weeks. This can only be the work of the Almighty God who loves us to much that He gave us Jesus Christ. When we started fundraising, we didn’t know exactly how God was going to provide, but we knew He was going to meet our needs one way or another. If God were to provide us with a loan, we would be happy to accept that as well.
After telling everyone our needs, Kitty prayed that God would confirm two things.

1. Confirm that adoption is really His plan for our family.
2. Calm her fears of the unknown and assure her that He will direct our steps.

He has not only met our financial needs and answered our prayers, but His provision surpasses our expectations. He has shown us that He does not call us to a task that is too difficult and that He will give us the means to accomplish it. In the book of Exodus, when God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses felt inadequate. God time and time again assured Mosses that He will be with him every step of the way. Even though there may be challenges ahead, we know that our God will guide us. All we have to do is be faithful in doing what He has planned for us and hold on to His promises.

Just thinking about how He used our loving friends and family to meet our needs brings tears to my eyes. We are thankful to everyone who had a hand in helping us, from telling your friends, to donating, to bidding, and especially those giving so generously. If anyone is even remotely thinking about adoption, please let us know. We would love to share details with you and provide you with some resources. If you are going to adopt, we would love to come along side you and offer you our help, prayers, and support. You have all been a blessing to us. If we can be of any help to you, please let us know.

Silent Auction... SUCCESS!!

Our silent auction just closed today. It was quite an exciting event! When we first started putting together this auction, we only had 55 items to sell. Later on, though, when we started telling others about our silent auction idea, people donated many items to us to put onto the website. By the end, we had over 200 items to sell! The bidding was pretty active throughout the whole week, but the last day was the craziest. There were a few items that multiple people were eying, so there were lots of outbidding involved. Some of the hot items were CD's, DVD's, dinners, Lego sets, dressers, and a bubble machine. By the end of the auction, we had a total of 442 bids, with 14 bids that occurred within the last five minutes! We only anticipated raising $1000 tops from the auction. However, we raised a total of $3900 at the end! Praise God! We completely underestimated what God and His people can do when we all rally together. Thank you everyone for your support!

Before we did this silent auction, we were actually quite timid about asking for support. We are fairly comfortable giving, but receiving is another thing, and asking others for things is very uncomfortable indeed. We almost didn't send out that support letter, but a few people encouraged us to make our needs known and then see what God will do with it. We did, and so God did! We had to humble ourselves before God could bless. We indeed serve a mighty God who can do exceeding more than what we could hope or imagine! I guess there ARE no mountains too big for God!

Let the auction begin!

Thank you to everyone who have contributed cash and donated items.  Hebron and I struggled with asking for financial help because we always felt that the expense is our responsibility.  The more we pray that God would meet our financial needs, the more we felt that God is pointing us to the body of Christ.  We are so blessed that we have never been in need.  Being on the receiving side is new for us and also a very humbling experience.  We've learned that we cannot do it on our own, but only possible in Christ and through the kindness of His people.  Thank you for your love and obedience to our Lord.  Each of you set to us a good example of Christ like love, kindness, and generosity.  You are truly living like the disciples in Acts, sharing your possession.  Thank you for sharing with us and investing in our family.  Our lives are forever changed because of you.  I will certainly share with Mui-Mui the story of how God used you to bring her to us. 

 

Our online auction is LIVE today.  Anyone we view it.  There are many NEW and used items up for auction thanks to our friends. Items up for auction include gift cards, stamping supplies, scrapbooking supplies, swiss watches, toys, baby items, christian books, DVDs, music CDs, and services (like babysitting, piano lessons, and Ribeye dinner).  Depending on which item you want, if no one bid against you, you can potentially walk away with a great deal (between 50 - 75% off of retail prices).

 

Please feel free to forward this to your friends who may be interested in those items.

 

Thank you for your support and happy bidding!

 

http://tinyurl.com/makauction

It's a girl!

In August, we received another call from that adoption agency with a match.  This time for sure we’re having a girl!  We’re scheduled to pick her up sometime in December or January of 2011! Here is a beautiful picture of our future daughter. Our boys are very excited to bring home their baby sister. They have actually been sharing about it during Sunday school! Of course we are completely thrilled as well, as we have been waiting for this moment for two years already.

We started the adoption paperwork in July 2008 and our application finally got submitted to China in March 2009. By early 2010, we realized that China had drastically slowed down the adoption process, so instead of taking the anticipated two years to receive a match, it would be closer to 10 years! Our desire to adopt was strong, but waiting 10 years is just not feasible. It was then that we explored another option that greatly sped up our process. We hesitantly opted in to consider a child with a minor correctable condition, such as a club foot or cleft lip. We were definitely hesitant in opening ourselves to that, because as parents, we have the most difficult time seeing our children in pain. When Caleb had his oral surgery a couple years back to remove four teeth, we were worried and anxious for a month. We cannot imagine how it would be if our daughter had to undergo serious surgery.

Well, a few months after we had joined this special list, we received “the call.” They had matched us with a baby girl (born in Feb 2010)! She was found abandoned on the streets of Yunnan by a police officer and her condition is called Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), which is a heart defect where there is a hole between the two upper chambers of the heart. After consultation with a physician friend and mentor and also an adoption specialist at Oakland Children’s Hospital, we saw that this medical condition is actual a huge blessing in disguise. Apparently, out of all the medical conditions that we could have picked from, this particular type of heart condition is possibly the “best” conditions we could get! A pediatric cardiologist estimated that there is an 80% chance that the hole would close by up itself without any intervention! If she would need surgery, it would be a simple procedure, and she would most likely not even need to spend a night at the hospital. God knew exactly what we could and could not handle, so this was the perfect child! How awesome is that??

Why Adopt?

One question we often get from people is why we would want to adopt, especially since we obviously can have our own biological kids. Ever since high school, God placed in Kitty’s heart the desire to adopt because she saw that neglected children can thrive given a little love and attention. She also sees that children hold a special place in the heart of Christ. Mark 9:35 says, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name, welcomes me.” She wants to provide a loving home for a child who would otherwise not be loved or know love. Throughout the years, Kitty had many passions and desires; most came and gone. However, the desire to adopt stayed and lingered in her heart. She always thought that when she could, she would.  It is not a coincident that Hebron also developed the same desire. After learning of Kitty’s heart for adoption, Hebron began his own journey of searching for God’s will. Through God’s Word and radio programs such as Focus on the Family, Hebron developed the same passion. Looking back at our journey, we are convinced that God put all the pieces together and led us to this decision. We even saw how He directed our steps to adopt a child with a minor physical condition. We now have such a passion to not only adopt ourselves, but to help others through their journey and struggle with adoption, because we believe that God desires all orphans to be loved by caring parents.

Silent Auction Fundraiser

Our adoption process is not over yet. We are still waiting for some more paperwork to give us the authorization to travel. In the meanwhile, we are faced with huge financial responsibilities. The adoption cost totaled to about $35,000, which includes traveling expenses for two weeks. $10k was paid toward the beginning of the process. Another $12k was paid after we accepted the match. Those two large expenses already wiped out our savings. Unfortunately, we still have $13k that is due prior to traveling to China. We are hoping to raise some support from our friends and family to cover this last remaining chunk. If you believe in our cause and also have a heart for orphans, we would humbly ask for you to prayerfully consider supporting us financially. There are two ways you can support us:

1) Write a check payable to us and mail it to our home.  If you need our address, please email us. 
2) Participate in our silent auction by either bidding or donating to it, or both.


What is a silent auction?

A silent auction is like eBay. We will put many items for sale on a website. You can help us by bidding on an item (e.g. espresso machine, DVD player) or a service (e.g. oil change, housecleaning). All proceeds will go toward our last remaining adoption expense.

We have some items to sell from our own inventory. However, we would be eternally grateful if you have any items or service that you would like to donate to our silent auction. Examples of items (new or gently used) that we can use for the auction are:
• Books
• Electronics
• Toys
• Tickets to a game
• Oil change service
• Babysitting service
• Home cooked meals
• Computer assistance
• Gift cards
• Timeshare
• Air flight mileage

Those donated items would greatly increase the effectiveness of our fundraiser, so please let us know by Wed, 10/20 if you can help us in that area. If your donated items remain unsold by the end of the auction, we will return them back to you. Here are the details of the online auction:

WHERE: Go to http://tinyurl.com/makadoption
WHEN: Auction opens on 10/24 and will end the following Saturday, 10/30, at 3pm.
HOW: You can bid on an item by putting in your name, email address, and the price you are willing to pay for the item. If no one outbids you by the end of the auction (Saturday, 10/30, at 3pm), then the item is yours!

We will also host a pancake & porridge brunch on the last day of the auction, Saturday, 10/30. Come by anytime between 10-3pm, and bring your kids. It would be great to fellowship with friends and family. You will also have the opportunity to check out any of the posted items in person and you can bid on any item that interests you. Just send us a quick email to let us know if you are coming, so we can make enough pancakes and porridge for everyone. Thank you so much for your support!

Crazy August 2010

I don't know how it happened, but my August schedule are filled with stuff.  We are out of town three out of four weekends.  On top of it all, I am taking two classes this semester instead of one.  To add to the stress, my group in the marketing class didn't do much work.  Therefore, I had to put together the marketing plan in the mist of issues at work and my crazy August schedule.  To show how crazy it is, I have to document all the things that was on my schedule.

July 30 - Final draft of Marketing plan due
Aug 5 - 8 - in SD for Caleb and Annie's wedding in which the boys were ring bearers
               - prepare power point & study while on vacation
Aug 9 - Marketing plan presentation
Aug 13 - 15 - First family camping trip to Point Reyes
Aug 15 - Marketing final exam
Aug 17 - The referral of mui-mui
Aug 19 - Finance final exam
Aug 20 - 26 - MEXICO VACATION

In between the trips, I had to unpack, pack, and study.  It's CRAZY!!!!!!!!  But I am almost done with it.  I really appreciate prayers from my prayer group and Hebron, who did most of the packing and unpacking.  I can really see God's guidance and protection this month.  I can't see how I can possibly survive August 2010, it's only by God's strength and grace that I made it this far.  Only one exam left to go and I can be swimming in Mexico.

"The Call"

Ever since we submitted our adoption application in March 2009, we have been waiting for "the call" from the adoption agency to refer to us our 3rd child.  From email updates we know not to expect that call any time soon.  But yesterday, we got "the call."  We indicated that we would consider a child with minor medical condition, so the refer was a 2 yr old with Syphillis, a sexually transmitted disease she was born with.  We were excited, but was not sure whether or not Syphillis is serious.  After conversing with a doctor friend, we made a very hard decision to decline.  Our friend said that if caught early, Syphillis can't do much damage.  But in her case, it was caught later.  He thinks that it may have caused developmental problems and since she still have traces of it that it may be contagious. 

I know we made the right decision for our family.  Knowing my limitations and my tendendy to worry, this is wise.  But emotionally, it was hard to turn away a child.  I pray that God will lead her to a loving home.   I can totally see myself loving her too.  I was so close to having a child, but yet it's so far away.  I wish to have our 3rd child soon, the wait is so hard.  Trusting in God's promises and following His lead is not easy, especially when there are other ways to get what I want.  Of course, I can easily have my own baby, but if I did that I would not be obedient to what He has called me and I would not be trusting in His provision.  It's so hard to continue down the path He is leading us when I don't know what the future holds and when I feel like we are alone (I mean beside God, no one is walking that path).  Like all the things He has called me to, I just have push on and hold tight to His calling.  I love chinese praise song.  A song from Stream of Praise says something like, "I lay down my life before you and follow your lead."  I feel like God wants me to do just that. 

Kindergarten Graduation

 can't believe the school year is over already.  Caleb went from just ready Bob Books to reading level 2 books.  He can even write a paragraph to summarize books that he read.  It's amazing how much he can learn.  I am not ready for him to finish Kindergarten.  We are just getting used to and enjoy school and homework.  I am thankful that Caleb was able to attend CCS in his first year of school.  He not only learned to read, but he learned Christ like character and God's word.  He recited one verse a week and can recite all of Psalm 23.  I am so proud of him.
 

Celebrations this week

This week Hebron and I celebrated our 9th anniversary and his xxth birthday.  He and I are the same age so I guess I don't want to admit how old I really am.  I still think I am 29.  I guess that was a good year.  Anyways, Hebron took me to dinner at Stone Korean at 4th Embarcadero center in SF and then we went to see the musical Wicked at the Orpheum theater with orchestra seats.  I have not seen a musical in soooo long, I think the last one was Mama Mia, which had to be before Joshie (he is already 4).  We don't usually go because it is expensive.  When we do go, we always get the cheap balcony seats where I can't see the facial expression of the actors.  This time we were really close.  I can see their faces.  Wow, what a treat!  Just don't think about the cost.

Yesterday, for Hebron's birthday, we went to Marina in SL for picnic and kite flying.  We brought a tent there and picnic inside the tent.  The boys loved it.  Now, they can't wait to go camping.  Maybe we should start by camping out in our backyard first. 

Caleb's T-ball game

Caleb started T-ball in April. At the beginning, he didn't like using the glove, now he actually likes it.

How Thoughtful!

It seems like I am always upset at the boys for not obeying instructions.  But from time to time, they can surprise me.  This past Mother's day, the boys (with the help of Daddy), brought me flowers from the garden, made me a card, and made me breakfast in bed.  Caleb knows I like savory breakfast, so he suggested that they make me ham and cheese.  Which I like more than pancakes or cereals.

Today Caleb showed me how thoughtful he is.  I forgot to sign a form that he needed to turn in.  After I dropped him off, I usually wait outside of class to see if he needs anything.  He looks fine, so I started to walk to my car.  He ran after me with the form and asked me to sign.  And he brought along a pencil too!
He knew I didn't have my purse and so I didn't have a pen or pencil.  He must have thought about it before running after me, in order to remember to bring a pencil too.  I have always hope that my boys will grow up to be kind, compassionate, sensitive, and thoughtful young men.  I know it's a small thing, but this tells me Caleb is on his way.

We are blessed!

A few days ago on the drive home from school, Caleb asked me why his friends don't have party at their house.  I explained to him that not everyone has a house big enough to have parties and not everyone has money for parties.  I told him that when I was growing up, I didn't have birthday party and I didn't live in a big house.  Since most people he knows live in big houses, he must think that it is the norm.  I also told him that some people live in small houses and  some people are homeless with no home.  Then Caleb said something that made me so proud.  He said, "We are blessed!"  Wow, did my Caleb just say that?  Can it be that he understands how much we are blessed by God?

Hebron and I want our boys to have a thankful heart and be grateful for all that we have because everything is a blessing from God.  I am not sure if he truly understands what being blessed means or knows how it feels to be blessed.  But at least he can say that he is blessed.  Saying it is the first step in feeling it.

The New Happy Hallow in San Jose

We didn't go anywhere for spring break because Joshie had a fever the whole week. When he got better, we went to the Exploratorium and Happy Hallow Park and Zoo with Auntie Melissa. Thanks Mel for getting us in for FREE!!!!!!!!!!

Joshie loves feeding animals. He can do that all day if we have enough money to pay for all the food.

C's first piano recital

Caleb has been taking piano lessons for 8 months now.  This is his very first recital.  Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa Ngo, Auntie Nina, Uncle Andy, and Auntie Melissa for attending and for support.

My #1 Child Accepted Christ

Today is a special day for me because I had the priviledge of sharing the gospel with Caleb.  Caleb is 6 and is able to reason and think logically.  So I thought he would be ready to make the decision for Christ.  I booked a Saturday so Hebron can spend some time to Dai-dai and I can share with Caleb.  Since Caleb likes to read alot, I used the wordless book to spark his interest.  I told him what each color meant.  It turns out that Caleb is very familiar with the gospel.  He said teachers told him about what Jesus did on the cross in preschool in room C6 and also in Kindergarten.  I guess he heard it, but have yet to make a decision.  So I asked if he believed in Jesus and would he want Jesus in his life and he said, "yes!" 

I don't expect drastic change in his life from here on, because as a child, I am not sure if he completely understands what it means to accept Christ as his personal Savior.  But at least hearing the gospel will give him a good foundation and moves him toward a life long relationship with our Creator.  I pray that as he grows, he will make this faith his own.  In the meantime, Hebron and I will try to be a good role model for him.

After his decision, I told him that angels in heaven are rejoicing because he became a child of God and is born again.  So we went to Chuck-e-cheese to celebrate.

Scrapbooking Marathon

Hebron will tell you that I am crazy, but I volunteered to help Caleb's teacher document kindergarten memories for her class.  When I volunteered to do that, I thought I was assisting the teacher.  Little did I know that I volunteered to take on the whole thing.  2009-2010 school year was like a big scrapbooking marathon where I document every activity in his kindergarten class.  Basically, I am creating 24 books (one for each child)  that document all the activties in the whole school year plus two additional books for the teachers.  There are at least 2 photo opportunities per month.  So there are at least 25 pages per book. 
Amazingly, I am almost done.  5 more pages per book and I am completely done.  I can't believe I did it despite, the holidays, tax busy season, and my MBA class.  I have to say, the memory books are quite nice and I am sure all the parents will appreciate it.

Caleb's first experience of answered prayer

For Caleb's 6th birthday we decided to host two parties at home.  One in the morning for school friends and  one in the evening for church friends.  Caleb wanted to rent a jumper with slide.  As you know, we can't have a jumper in the backyard if it rains.  The whole week before his birthday, the weather forecasted that it will rain for a week starting on Saturday, the day of the party.  So we prayed nightly that it will not rain.  And God answered.  Feb 20th was a cloudy day with no rain.  It started to drizzle alittle at about 6 pm and the next day was pouring rain. 

This was Caleb's first experience with answered prayer.  We took this opportunity to tell Caleb that God loves us and cares about our lives.  When we present out request to Him, He will answer according to His.  Thank you Father for showing Caleb that you care about every aspect of our lives.  May Caleb grow to depend on you through prayers.

Snow trip in February

Well, it's not our first snow trip.  We went with a couple of families from our church and it was first time for some people.  Everyone had lots of fun sledding for three days.  Poor Hebron was sick and hit his head on the fence post.

A Note From My Son

Sometime I feel like, as parent, I focus on teaching Caleb what not to do, but fail to focus on telling him that he is valued and loved.  So yesterday when I packed him his lunch, I wrote him and note to tell him I love him and gave to a bunch of gummies to share.  I am so glad he can read now.  He said he was happy and surprised.  Today, he responded to my note.  This is what he wrote.

Dear Mammy. I love you to! And I lice to play with you!
Love, Caleb

Caleb also drew four stick figures and put initial under each one.

D.M.    M.M.   C.M.    J.M.

Fome: Caleb
To: Mommy


He wrote it by sounding out each word.  I guess sometime it's hard to hear all the sounds.

Because "I Love You!"

We implimented house rules at the beginning of the year to teach the boys with their behavior.  They get a good point for obeying the rules and a bad point for disobedience.  Everyone can give each other a good or bad point because everyone must follow the rules, not just the kids. Then at the end of the week we add up all the points.  Whoever is in the positive will get stickers added to their crown. 

One of our rule is no yelling.  Well, today, I had to write an important email, but Joshie is always around me asking to get him food, play with him, turn on the TV, help him with the computer.  After awhile, I got upset because I was still not don't with my email.  I yelled at him and asked to stop bothering me and play by himself.  I felt soooo bad immediately after doing that.  So I apologize to him and told him he can give me a bad point for not obeying our house rule. 

He said, "No." 
I asked, "Why not?" 
He said, "Because I love you Mama!"

That just completely melted my heart.  How can I be upset at him when all he wants was my attention?  And all because he loves me.  Joshie is very effectionate; he shows it by kissing me millions of times a day and saying "I love you."  I wish this stage would never end.

Sinful Nature

I was sad to hear that Caleb was in trouble at school for lying.  I was astonished!  My sweet Caleb?!  NO! 
The bad Adam and Eve brought sin to the world.  Or else how can you explain how a sweet innocent child learned to lie.  His teacher told me that she heard some screaming in the bathroom and knew the three kids that did it.  Caleb was one of those screaming and when she asked him, he said he didn't and that someone else did.  The teacher, Mrs. Hui, told him the wouldn't be in trouble if he told the truth.  He is in trouble not for screaming but for lying.

Of course at night, Hebron talked to Caleb about lying and how it makes God and us sad.  We told him the story of George Washington and the cherry tree.  And we emphasized that lying will only get him into more trouble.  He was sorry and realized himself that lying was what got him in trouble.  I know satan tempts the "good boys" to lie because they don't want to get into trouble.  I know Caleb, if he knew that doing something is wrong, he would not do it.  I knew he was scared so he lied.  Perhaps it was my fault in waiting too long to teach him about lying.  I should have been on the defense and warn him about sin.