Just some pics! Give me a break, I am forgoing washing my hair to do this!

Mylo is a bit on the bitter side after I told him he could not bring two bags for trick or treating, one for "Ellen".
This is her latest look, which brings anyone within fourteen feet running to her, making the face back.

Yes, she is that damn cute.

And DROOLEY!!!!!

Actually, these pictures are worth more like two thousand

Oh Lordy. Did you know that Taipei is like, 15 hours ahead of us? And that when you come home you will feel like how you felt that night when you stayed out all night and had maybe one or two hundred cocktails and when you woke up in the morning it became painfully clear that You. Are. No. Longer. Able. To. Do. That. Like. Ever. Now insert that into the movie Groundhog Day and that is what my last three days have felt like. Yipes. Things culminated with me calling Jim in tears telling him I was leaving and possibly going into the witness relocation program. So a good nap later I was willing to hold off relocation and instead accept fish tacos for dinner. To recap: Sleep deprivation sucks but is temporary and more importantly do NOT underestimate the restorative effects of a good fish taco.

I brought a folded up big ole LL Bean tote bag in my luggage and it TOTALLY saved my life.
Oh crazy misunderstandings about what us Americans might eat, I will miss you.
Ellen fussed for a couple of minutes of the plane, but then slept like a pro for about 8 hours. Awesometastic.
When you go through immigration, we were told somewhere in this hallway Ellen is transformed into a citizen.
Whoa.
Finally in San Diego! We came home to family, friend and ended with some good old fashioned book reading. Like she had been here forever.

So we had to hit the ground running when we got home, which is the way it is with your second. Myles loooooooooves his sister and really loves taking care of her.

We are home. Tired but happy. I will post more when I get some

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Last Tango in Taiwan

Lat bath. Last breakfast.

Last look to see if we missed anything.
We leave today at 6pm, get back to the states at 3pm in some bizarre time warp. Pray for our 13 hours of flying time to go by quick and for Ellen to keep up the good work. Will try to post in the airport lounge.

Okay, this was taken yesterday afternoon or so. It is now 4am and it looks like a summer shower off the coast of Maine. Jebus, people. I guess since the government offices announced they were closing, there are no takesies backsies in Taiwan. Whateva. Jim can barely go away for a weekend, so he is kind of freaked out right now. Interestingly enough, when we got the news last night we were both disappointed. I got a bit teary thinking about how much I miss Myles and if we could even fly out on Tuesday and all that crap. Ellen, who has barely fussed this whole time, looked at both of us and then threw a royal fit. I was the first time I really heard her cry with a mouth shaped like an O. So Jim and I have decided to be happy and realize the blessings and silver linings. Maybe if it is nice out we can go to some temples and whatnot. We really have not had much to see here so it would be nice. And, it is an extra day of just Ellen. When we get back there is Myles and work and everything else and it is so nice to just be with her in this suspended reality. Okay Ellen? Cheer up! So, Fion drove over in the morning to tell us to stay put and to warn us about government closings. I asked her if the mall was still open. She pretended not to hear me. I asked a couple of more times and then she said yes but asked me if I knew what a typhoon was. I told her I was in fact familiar with the word but was a Bostonian and used to take my Mazda GLC and follow the plows during a blizzard to get my Dunkin Donuts Regular. Take me to the mall. Now. Um, I consider my self a pretty awesometastic shopper. I enjoy walking around shops and of course having the most adorable Ellen make every baby thing look like a necessity helps. But this mall was like a mall on steroids. Miles long. Strange. And totally weird, THEY PLAYED ONE, ONE I TELL YOU TAYLOR DANE SONG OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. NO OTHER SONG. SERIOUSLY, WE WERE THERE FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS AND IT JUST LOOPED. Weirder? I can't remember the song now. Total blackout. I should check myself for tattoos and microchips.

This woman actually steamed? bread and then made an egg and tried to get us to eat it.

See how much Dad loves the mall? So happy!

This is actually a ride on toy that you put quarters on and can just zoom around the mall in, no tracks or nothing. Kind of awesome in an accident waiting to happen sort of way.

This is a place where kids take on adult jobs. The employees dress the kids in suits or police uniforms and then the adults act like the passengers or clients. I imagine there is a bank in there where small children are buying collapsed US banks. Good practice. Just so you know, these toys are made of rubber, made in Germany and FREAKING ADORABLE. Myles has a set in blue and red but don't tell Jim. He asked if we did not already have these at home and I pretended not to hear him and started singing along with Miss Dane. Something about how she did not know what love was?





Yeah, we take Ellen to the lounge. A lot.


Look at that face. If I can just focus on that face, it does not matter what else happens. Typhoon, Shmyphoon. Just look at the face.

So there is a huge typhoon right now. Rose. They are closing all the government agencies tommorow and we will not be able to get her Visa. We can not leave.

Hey Taipei, we had weather like this in back in Boston, too. You know what we named it? Thursday. I find it crazy that the Kenneth Cole shoe shop is still open but the government is shut down.

I will post pics later, Ellen wants home too.

Quick, some pictures and video before my sleeping pill kicks in! I finally told Jim he had to go drug free tonight so I can get some sleep. I have been getting about three hours a day and amazingly function pretty damn good! I try to do some Reiki(energetic healing, I know totally SoCal) on myself at night and most mornings so far I have hit the gym before the family wakes up. Obligatory eye roll from those of you how know what a workout nazi I am. I of course forgot to take my drugs when I crashed at 9pm with the baby and lo and behold it is my old enemy 1:20am.

It is pretty rare for me not to have Ellen in my arms. I eat with her in my arms, travel(car seat is a joke, no restraints in Taiwan), pretty much everything. I did the exact same thing with Myles. I love how close it makes us feel and love that already if she feels fussy, you can put her in it with a pacifier in her mouth and walk up and down the hall a bit and viola! sleeping baby. So she takes all of her naps in the baby carrier and then I hold her until she falls asleep for bed and then Jim puts her in the crib. I personally think this is a big bonding tool. She likes to put her face in my chest and suck her pacifier right before she nods off. The downside is I am coooovered in drool, bannana bits, rice cracker mush and look pretty messed up in a city where I have to say the ladies are pretty fashionable. Not my style, but there is no L.A. casual going on here where as long as your tank top is from Nordstroms you could get married in it.

We hit the markets this morning. Sort of a swap meet type deal Taiwan style.

Had Fion, our facilitator take us somewhere local for lunch and it kicked A Double Snakes people. We all ate huge meals and had drinks for the equivalent of nine dollars. I had a wonderful veggie noodle dish that I had to beg not to have pork put in. Pork is the new zuchinni here. We tried to give them a tip and they flat out refused.

Jim is just sooooo exhausted.

Later, Jim crashed in the hotel room and Ellen and I hit the lounge downstairs while she napped in the carrier. I had a glass of wine and watched a wedding take place. For some reason it made me want to weep. I just started wondering if Ellen would want to marry here and would she stay and then how could I live without her? Sleep deprivation blues, people.

These videos are pain to pull up on the blog site for some reason but here is another rambling video, this time Ellen babbles up a storm!

Damn, the video won't load! I will try later!

Some random thoughts while the video downloads:

-In this adoption program you get paired up with one of two people when you arrive in Taipei. They take you to all the appointments, pick up, immigration and visa. They also take you to any tourist stops you want and help you shop, etc. We got Fion, the more stoic of the two. Fion is willing to answer any question you have for her but that is it. She does not ask you questions about your life or try to initiate conversation in any way. I actually kind of liked this since I needed some real time to get my head straight on the four hours up and back from the foster mother's home. Otherwise I pepper her with questions and get a kick out of her in general. I am pretty good at drawing people out and can usually get a life story within 40 minutes of meeting someone or at the least how they lost their virginity or something. This is the dirt I have on Fion:

-She lives with her parents. Because.

-She has a dog and two cats. One is white. No, she does not consider herself an animal "lover", she likes them and to take care of them.

-She plays computer games and naps in her free time.

I still have two more days people. I get six hours of sleep tonight and I will get her telling me sleep away camp stories by noon.

Rained all day today. Not as much sightseeing. Typhoon is coming in so I am not sure what we will be able to do tommorow besides try to get Fion drunk.

Y'all. Our usual 4am time together. Jet Lag? JET HAG. Seriously, I can't compete with my stunning, perfect sleeping 15 hours a day daughter. Forgive my face.

Other notes: Jill, was the woman at the store doing inventory when you took the picture? No, we were in such shock of just having gotten Ellen that I simply walked through the store and everything she looked at or burped towards I bought. They literally whisk you away to this store it seems seconds after you have met your child for the first time. Thank God there were no live animals or small islands.


Fun fact: Ellen does not enjoy being fed at arms length, legs and arms akimbo as if she had a rare but totally catchy disease. About a second after I took this picture she fussed and I opened the school of feeding and now Jim hugs hers close.

She loves books! She loves books about Mommy(and Dad and Myles) but mostly Mommy!

She loves having me read her books. I only brought three and "This is Not my Kitten" is her favorite. I refrained from having Barnes and Noble overnight me entire feline book section. Progress.
We have a game called "Tea Party" where she sits in her boppy, has cracker and stares at her guests. And then tries to drown them in her saliva.
Taipei 101! Would have loved it more if I was awake. We did take the tour to actually learn anything about said famous building, just walked around and looked out windows. Still beautiful

This is just so Taiwan. There is a section where you look at the big thingamajig that helps stop the building from swaying or imploding or something. They then take that thingamajig and create a weird toy out of it. They are called damper baby. I of course bought the whole set of them to take home.
Hey Ellen, you parents are not actually sixty year old jaundiced invalids Wait till we get back to home court.

I can't wait for her to wake up. Each night I thank every single Deity I can come up with for her. I just can't put it in words right now. I have alot to write on this whole deal and will get to it.

What else? She is teething up a storm. She drinks rice and formula and it smells like cheap white chocolate and I can't wait to get her off that, although I of course bought a case of each to take home. What! She totally coughed near it!

Most people come up and say "Lucky Baby!" and try to get her to smile. A gaggle of teenagers asked to take my picture with her and went ballistic when I told them she was going to California. I am like totally not bragging but she only smiles for me and Jim, forreals. She just seriously looks at other people and then looks at their fingers under her chin like she might file a report or something. I of course secretly loooooooove it.

The manager of the hotel loves her and when I was unsuccessfully trying to get her to eat some kiwi confided in me that when his girls where picky he stopped feeding them and then hey! they ate everything. He told me his wife and in-laws would kill him if they knew. Wow.

She talks and talks and talks. Of course not in this rambling video where I beg her to say the sound she has been saying all day and she looks like I am asking her to do my trig homework.

I loooooooove all the crazy translation mistakes. I have two toast choices every morning, white and while. I am fond of the while.