Puzzle and Notes from Nathanael!

We have had 15 puzzle pieces purchased up to this point.  Thank you so much for giving!  I have been having a difficult time getting the names on the back of the pieces to show in pictures, so I want to thank the following people who have given recently:  Courtney Chapman, Giselle and Terry Chapman, Matthew, Tara, and Mary Alice Fraser, Evan Offut, and Ellen Mindrup.  We appreciate each of you so much!
Here are pictures of the progress of the puzzle.

If you'd like to support our adoption by purchasing puzzle pieces for $10 each, there are two ways you can donate.
1.  You can make a tax deductible donation in any amount using the following link: http://adopttogether.org/shubertfamily/
Just type the name you want on each piece in the comments section.

2.  You can comment on here or private message me on facebook that you'd like to donate.  I will private message you our address and you can send us a check.


Nathanael wants to share some memories with you.  :)

                                                                  I see you!

                                                                         Cheese

                                        I'm so excited to ride on the boat with Papaw and Daddy!

                                                                       Boat time!

                                                I caught my first fish and I was so excited!

                                                       Then I caught 2 more all in 15 minutes!

I love to fish!

First bath in the big tub

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Nathanael had a blast in the big tub for the first time. He made faces and was his usual cute self. :) What a sweet boy!

9 months old and 4 1/2 months home

I've been reflecting on our adoption journey as Nathanael turned 9 months old yesterday. We were in Taiwan celebrating his 4 month birthday, just 5 months ago. It seems like much longer and just yesterday at the same time. Today, I am feeling thankful for the faithful people who took such good care of our precious baby boy. I am especially thankful to the Lord for this most precious, perfect gift...our son, Nathanael.

The merging of God stories

I began this blog as a chronicle of our journey to adopt a baby from Taiwan. Today, I find myself thinking about what the purpose of this blog is now...

Adoption doesn't end when you are matched with a child or when you bring him home. Adoption is a life journey! We brought him home to our FOREVER family on April 20th. Everyday since then has been part of the life-adventure that God dreamed for our family. Brian and I are adjusting to being parents after almost 10 years of marriage (August 12). Nathanael is adjusting so well to being in our family. He LOVES his dog Jack and often laughs outloud at him. He knows who mom and dad are and recognizes if someone else is holding him. He smiles and giggles and lights up our lives. People often say, "That is the cutest baby EVER" as he gives them one of his charming smiles.

I was in a youth revival service tonight in which the speaker discussed our "God stories." My God story began when God broke through my pretending and asked me to get real with Him. I became a Christian that day. Life has never been the same for me since that day. My God story continued when he led me to attend Kentucky Mountain Bible College, where I met my husband, Brian. My life will forever be changed because God called Ted and Bev Skiles to Taiwan to be missionaries and through them, gave us this wonderful gift--Nathanael. What a blessing to be adopted into God's family. What a blessing to adopt this sweet baby boy into our family. What a blessing to be able to share our lives together, just as God and I share our lives together. As I see it our family is really about lots of God stories merging into one beautiful tapestry of God's love and grace. As we are obedient to God, he works to make something beautiful out of our lives. Feeling thankful today. How about you?

April 20th to the present

We arrived home on April 20th. We were overjoyed for our family and friends to meet our sweet baby boy! Upon leaving the airport, my mom wanted to ride with her grandson. So, I let her and I rode with my dad. Nathanael, quite worn out from being so sick and traveling for 23 hours, began to cry. They pulled over so I could get in and comfort him. My mom informed me that he was wheezing. Not what a new mom wants to hear upon arriving home!

I immediately called a good friend, Lori Weimer, who helped us get in to see a doctor that day. What followed was the longest, most exhausting week of my life. We ended up being at the doctor's office everyday that week. During the week, he began breathing treatments, had chest x-rays, spiked a fever over 105 degrees and had a Urinary tract infection, resulting in him being hospitalized for the weekend. Did I mention that Brian was also sick upon arriving home and we were experiencing jetlag? We would have never made it without the Lord's help to multiply our strength and send in reinforcements in the form of Libby Sellers and Brenda Visser. Both of these lovely ladies are nurses who each stayed a night to help us monitor Nathanael prior to him being admitted to the hospital.

All that being said, that week taught me that with the Lord's help, I can handle A LOT more than I thought I could!

Nathanael has been healthy since that time. He has the occasional stuffy nose, sneezes, and occasional cough. This mom with allergies thinks he suffers from them as well, but only the seasonal kind and nothing major.

Since we've been home from Taiwan, Nathanael has been able to meet most of my side of the family and some of Brian's. He has met his church family and has many "aunts and uncles" who love him. I am staying home with him and loving it, even though I've become a bit of a hermit. =)

He has learned the following things since we've been home: rolling over from his back to his tummy and back over to his back, sitting up for periods of time, squealing, spitting and sticking out his tongue, grasping toys and mommy's hair, and wrapping pretty much everyone he meets around his finger! Praise the Lord for this precious, giggley, smiley, healthy baby boy!

Arriving Home

After 23 hours of travel, we were ready for final descent into Mobile Airport! The trip was amazing. God had been good to us and we were counting our blessings and feeling the jetlag at the same time!

Our sweet friends and my parents met us at the airport. What a wonderful welcome Nathanael received. It was a giant celebration of God making a family.

In Taiwan

While in Taiwan, we were given a tour of sights of from Ted Skiles. The food there was amazing as well. We visited a local market and a handicraft center. We had so much fun! We also helped with babies and, of course, spent quality time with Nathanael.

Traveling with Ted was a wonderful adventure. He is a wonderful man of God and was such a blessing to spend time with. We were able to hear stories of God's provision for the home. What an inspiration! We met wonderful people who took care of Nathanael: Bev Skiles, Showhwa, Katie, Judith, Jess, Ellen, and Grandma. We also met Jen Jen and Janet who travel down from Taipei every week to volunteer their time with the babies. We met children who loved Nathanael and who were a joy to get to know. In Taipei, we met the Edwards family. They became good friends! It is difficult to sum up our trip here. It was amazing, tiring, inspiring, beautiful, educational, emotional, life-changing...I could go on and on, but I hear my sweet Taiwanese boy waking up from his short nap.

Meeting Nathanael for the first time!

When we arrived at The Home of God's Love, we basically ran in the door to meet our son! These pictures capture the smiles that still haven't left our faces! We enjoyed meeting Ted and Bev Skiles, Showhwa, Jess, Ellen, Katie, Judith and Grandma upon arriving at the home. I do think that we were the most excited to meet Nathanael, though!

Taiwan!

So, I realize that I have greatly neglected my blogging!

We have been home over a month. Our time in Taiwan was amazing, life-changing, and simply beautiful. I wanted to share some pictures of our arrival in Taiwan. Arriving in Taiwan was surreal, We had traveled for 25 hours and were quite literally, exhausted. However, in waiting for such an emotional event as meeting our son for the first time, we were bursting with energy as well. While we were waiting for Ted Skiles at the airport, we were able to visit with the Elswicks, each couple greatly anticipating meeting a son.

Nathanael's voice

We got to hear Nathanael's voice on the phone tonight. It was so sweet to hear his cooing sounds! I just wanted to share with you all! We will keep you posted when we hear something about the court hearing.

USCIS update

I received an email just now from USCIS stating that there was a continued problem...BUT they had talked with my social worker for the homestudy and she is bringing in a correction. Once they have received the correction from her....wait for it...wait for it...THEY CAN SEND ME AN APPROVAL LETTER!!! Thank you so much for your prayers! Please continue to pray for our courtdate which will be Monday night at 8:15 p.m. CST.

Fingerprinting: Check, Waiting: Check, Check

We completed our biometrics (digital fingerprinting) appointment yesterday with more than a little freaking out on my part! We left 30 minutes earlier than we needed to for the appointment. However, a semi was blocking one lane of traffic on the bridge on I-10 over the lake. It took us over 30 minutes just to cross the bridge. Needless to say, we were late and I was worried that we would not be able to continue with the appointment. Those letters from USCIS can be so threatening, stating that you are abandoning your application if you do not make your appointment time. Anyway, as a newbie, I did not know that they schedule several people for 8 a.m. and we were fine. No problems, Praise the Lord!!!

I am continuing to wait to hear that USCIS has received our corrected homestudy. As of yet, I have requested this information with no response. Please pray that they respond to me soon.

Other than that, we work on the nursery and wait for our court date on March 9th. Please continue to be in prayer for the court date and our birthmom.

Do you see a recurring word in this blog: wait. For now, I am trying to do what the following verse states that David did. I'm trying to improve with the "patiently" part.

"I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry." Psalm 40:1

Updates

I wanted to quickly update everyone on the adoption. The glitch with USCIS was that they had not received our homestudy from the state of Mississippi. Our social worker found out that it had been misplaced when the pipes froze and the Secretary of State office in Jackson was shut down. The homestudy should be on it's way to the USCIS office in New Orleans.
We are officially simply waiting for events to take place. This week (Thursday night) is our baby shower for Nathanael at the church (6:30 p.m. if you are planning to attend). Next week, we have a fingerprinting appointment in New Orleans. The following week, we should get an updated picture of Nathanael. And a little over a week after that.....Our court date (March 9th). Please pray for our court date, our birthmom, and Nathanael's health. Thank you so much for sharing in this journey with us!

"As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect." Psalm 22:31-33

Court Date

We have been assigned a court date for Nathanael's adoption. It will be March 9th at 10:15 a.m. Taiwan time. Please pray for Nathanael's birthmom. This day should be a happy day for Brian and I, but a sad one for her. It is not easy to choose for your child to be adopted. Please pray that she receives the comfort of the Lord.

Please pray that we receive notification of our fingerprinting appointment soon, as well. We do not want to be delayed in going to get Nathanael, due to a delay in the fingerprinting.

God is so good. We are so excited about the court date! We can't wait to bring home our sweet baby boy!

"Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land." Proverbs 25:25

New Picture!

Nathanael continues to improve, but remains in the hospital. Please keep praying for him. We did get our February picture today though!

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.