Current Family Photos-February

Happy February from Tim, Tiffany, J. and C.!
This is a long post, but I'm over jet-lag enough now to fully share our experience in the Philippines picking up J. There are a couple of pictures of C. too, of course! But most of this is dedicated to our time in the Philippines. Feel free to comment with-well-comments, and questions! I know people have been calling and stopping by with all sorts of questions. I'm awake enough now to answer them! Hope you had a wonderful Valentines' Day!

This is me sitting with the sisters, case workers, and Dr.'s going over all of J.'s information before we met him. We were given a month by month Life Book with pictures covering his entire time at the orphanage. He will treasure that later. It took quite a while to go over all of the medical information with the Dr. Though I was anxious to meet J. (we could hear him playing in the other room during this meeting), this was one meeting that I did not want to rush. I knew it would be very important to know what time he went to bed, what vegetables he likes, what comforts him, and what his last X-rays showed once we got home.





I'm so glad that I read books on toddler adoption, and spoke with other adoptive families before making this trip. I know many adopters of toddlers expect the little one to run into their arms yelling, "Mommy! You've come to save me!" at first sight. Well, far different is reality! I was a stranger, and J. was taught well-don't go to strangers. It took some aquainting, pleading, bribing, tricking, and coersing to get him to come to me. A sister he trusted, J. and I played with a truck I brought him. Then we played peek-a-boo under a table. He wouldn't let me hold him, so the sister suggested that she take his feet and I take his arms and we carry him together. Then he'd hold my hand. He took me all around the orphanage grounds to show me the fish pond. And finally, he let me hold him. But it wasn't without a few, "If you touch me, I'm gonna punch you!" moments. (See above). I think we had one of those today actually after he threw his apple on the floor and got put in time-out... oh the joy of toddlers! The tee-shirt he had on when I met him, the one in the pictures, says, "When God Made Me He Was Just Showing Off." I agree!
Finally! After about an hour, he let me hold him without arching his back, reaching for the sisters, or crying! Now we only have to make it to America! The sad taxi ride away from the orphanage. He clung to me like this for at least 24 hours, and made a pitiful sound that sounded like a hurt cat. It was very bittersweet. I wished more than anything that I could replace his limited 2 year old understanding of what was happening to him with mine. He stopped making that sound after we got to our house in America. The fingerprints at the Inter-Country Adoption Board that made him officially no longer an orphan, and our son (pending the 6 month probationary period, the US courts, the paperwork in the States, etc...). Irregardless-a very important fingerprint! It's what got him through immigration at the first US stop we made coming home.


Out and about in Manila. I chose to have his hair cut in Manila so that the stylist spoke his language and could try to ease his fears. He was still terrified,but he didn't scream.




We made it home, and we've been shutter happy trying to catch all of the cute moments. EVERYTHING is new to him, from carpet to telephones, microwaves to soccer balls, geese to cold weather, etc...He is constantly pointing and grunting, "What's that?" He loves this monkey puppet that makes a monkey sound, and of course-bubbles. He had a great time at the park this afternoon, and refused to eat anything but McDonalds and chocolate chip cookies all day. (I even offered rice). But I guess even if rice is all you know, it's impossible to pass up chocolate chip cookies! He's getting better at listening to Dad on the phone. And we made sure to get him out with the soccer ball immediately! (Just for Tim).



Here are some picures of a day we took out of Manila. The waterfalls are at Pagsanjan, about 2 hours south of Manila. We rode in a dug out canoe that a Filipino "boatman" oared and footed for lack of a better word through the rapids, rocks and jungle until we reached a 70 foot waterfall. It was beautiful to see the foliage, hear the birds, watch the monkeys jump on the trees (can you find the monkey in the picture??), and feel the cool water. This was the day before we got J., so he wasn't with us.
C. is growing up big and strong too! He still loves the bath, and is one of the two most handsome boys in the world-not that I'm biased... And toddler make three! We cannot wait for Dad to get home! Mom leaves tomorrow, and I'm really wondering how this is going to work alone. But we;ll find a way. At least J. and C. are getting along better. J. rushed to get C.'s pacifier when he was crying this afternoon, and rocked his bouncy chair to calm him down. He even hugged C. goodnight, and they held hands in their car seats coming home from errands! Yeah! They like each other-for the most part. They at least can stand each other long enough to sit with Mommy for a picture. Hurry home, Daddy! The house is loud and crazy, but lonely, without you.