Nathanael is improving!

He has been moved from the ICU to the regular nursery at the hospital. Bev sent me the following in an email: "He still gets oxygen when he is in bed but a very low amount. He looked terrific. I sang to him and hugged and kissed him. At first he did not seem to recognize me with my facemask and gown on and then I got a big grin. He is not so sick and he is quite popular in the nursery. He is very responsive. I talked to the nurse caring for him but did not see a doctor. She said the pneumonia was not gone but he was much better...They say he still has phlegm but it is much thinner. They did not give me any possible time when he would get home from the hospital."
He also is eating more than he was before he got sick! Praise the Lord for his recovery and good care. I am so thankful for The Home of God's Love where he is loved and cared for, as well as the doctors and nurses who have taken such good care of him. Please keep praying for his continued recovery, but also praise God for how he has worked to help and heal my precious son so far. I think amazing things happen when we praise and thank God.

"The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the Lord and sang:
'He is good;
His love endures forever.'
Then the temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God."---2 Chronicles 5:13-14

Adoption Update

Our paperwork was filed with the court in Taiwan yesterday! Now we wait for a court date and wait for immigration here in the states to complete their processing. We are so excited that our adoption case has been filed!

I have not received an update on Nathanael's condition since Tuesday night. Please continue to pray for him. The last we heard, he was still in ICU.

The song "While I'm Waiting" seems appropriate while we wait to hear about Nathanael, so I thought I'd share the lyrics.

While I'm Waiting

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

Latest Update on Nathanael

Received at 10:46 p.m.--The latest x-ray showed that his lungs are clearing up. He continues to have a lot of phlegm and mucus running out his nose. (Sorry there is no pretty way to say that, so you will have to forgive me) ;) His blood test showed little improvement so they are keeping him in ICU at this time. I'm not sure what this means, but have asked for clarification. But he is improving and for that I am very grateful. PRAISE THE LORD for good doctors and nurses. PRAISE THE LORD for Ted, Bev, and Anna who have visited him in the hospital. PRAISE THE LORD for the friends, family, and strangers who have prayed and are continuing to pray for Nathanael.

Update on Nathanael and Adoption Progress.

Nathanael Update: Ted and Bev (missionaires who run the orphanage where Nathanael lives) went to visit Nathanael at the hospital. He was sleeping, his color was much better, and he sounded better. The nurse said the pneumonia is the same. He is in a baby bed, with an oxygen tent. His oxygen level is not high. Ted and Bev. laid hands on him and prayed for him. Before they left, they sang "Jesus Loves Me" to him and he opened his eyes and seemed to recognize it. They are thanking the Lord that the Holy Spirit prompted them to take him to the hospital because he never ran fever. The only thing they had to go on was the fact that his color wasn't good. Please keep praying for him and Ted and Bev. He will probably be in the hospital for several more days. He remains in the Pediatric ICU.

In other news, we sent the rest of our paperwork off to Taiwan today. When they receive it they will be able to begin the legal proceedings regarding our adoption of Nathanael. Praise the Lord for Nathanael's progress as well as the adoption progress. We are also waiting on an appointment for fingerprinting regarding Nathanael's visa.

Thank you all for your prayers! Please continue to pray!

Update on Nathanael's Condition

We were notified early this morning that Nathanael has pneumonia in his left lung. He remains in Pediatric ICU. He will remain there until his breathing becomes less labored and he can be moved to the baby nursery in the hospital. Please keep praying for him. He is very young. He has been receiving excellent care and had even been to the doctor twice last week, prior to having to go to the hospital.

Please pray:

that Nathanael will heal quickly and be stronger than he was before.

that Brian and I will continue to be able to trust the Lord with Nathanael's condition. I am trying very hard not to feel guilty that I am not with him when he is so sick.

that our adoption process moves swiftly and smoothly. We are ready to bring him home! Our paperwork should arrive from TECO today. We will then send it to Taiwan so that they can register the adoption.

for the missionaries and workers who run and work at The Home of God's Love. They have MANY children to take care of and it is a tireless job. They stay very busy. Pray that God gives them strength and rewards them for the excellent care they have been giving to Nathanael and the other children in their care.

Please Pray for Nathanael

I am asking my friends and family who follow this blog and know how to pray, to please pray for Nathanael. He was taken to the hospital in Taiwan due to having difficulty breathing. He was given oxygen and his color improved. He is currently in the pediatric intensive care unit waiting to see the doctor this evening. It may only be difficulty breathing due to a bad cold. We simply do not know at this time. The are keeping him under observation and running tests. Again, we know this is in the Lord's hands as we can't go to Taiwan and be with him. Prayer is our greatest weapon and ally.
Thank you,
Heather

Two Steps in the Right Direction

Ok, today I sent the paperwork to TECO (Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office). We also sent our forms in to the USCIS. Bad news...I feel like I just did my taxes. Good news...we are two steps closer to bringing Nathanael home!

Please pray for Nathanael because he has a cold. I was able to find out that he is a chunky baby, but doesn't eat a lot. He cries some in the night, but that is decreasing. I was also able to find out that he should be in 6-9 month clothes when he comes home. That is what I had estimated, but was able to confirm that yesterday.

We are busy cleaning out the nursery so we can set it up and get ready for our little sweetie! Our church is having a baby shower for us on February 18th. It is very exciting. Also, friends and family have bought our stroller/infant seat and our crib. Both should arrive later this week!!! I had better get off of here and get to cleaning out that nursery!

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word, I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning." Psalm 130:5-6

Progress

Lots of people have been asking me where we are in the process. So, I thought I'd update everyone via the blog. We sent our adoption paperwork to the Mississippi Secretary of State today to be certified. The next step is to send it to the TECO office. After that, we send it to Taiwan and they can register and file for the adoption in Taiwan. Please pray that everything goes smoothly.

Also, several people have asked what we need for Nathanael. We are first-time parents, so we pretty much need everything! ;) We have registered at the following places: Babies R Us (in store and online), Target (in store and online), Walmart (in store and online), and www.babybeddingtown.com. The registries are under Heather Shubert, Brian Shubert. We live in Vancleave, MS and the dates on them are either 3/31/10 0r 4/01/10.

We are so excited to be one step closer to bringing Nathanael home!

"The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." Psalm 46:11

One month old

Our little Nathanael is one month old today! It feels like a bittersweet moment for me. I am so excited that we have a son, and at the same time sad that we've already missed one month of his life. We got the adoption paperwork in the mail and are working on it to move this process along so we can bring that little sweetie home!
I am continuing to work on thank you notes from our fundraiser. Oh, and we sent Nathanael his first package on Wednesday! We can't wait to see pictures of him in his warm little outfits!
Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to fundraise, file paperwork, and pray for and love our little boy. Thank you all for sharing this journey with us! I will post a new picture as soon as we get one!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7