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.