Meeting Helena

Today we were able to meet Anna and Nikolai's daughter, Helena at the TWCA office. Helena is a sweet cuddler with great hair. She is shy and observant.

Video - Giggle Girl

We took this footage while in Taiwan, shortly after our final ruling. Violet and Mom were playing on the bed in our hotel when we first heard one of Violet's giggle attacks.

Discovering FengYuan

We stayed in FengYuan, where the Taiwanese Women's and Children's Association is located. We were there for about ten days, until our final ruling. Violet was born in Taichung, ten miles away, but has lived with a nanny n FengYuan for about three months. Feng Yuan has about 100,000 people-most of them riding mopeds in organized chaos at any given time. We both adored the bakeries, which are said to rival Parisian Pattiseries (and I agree). The skyline picture was taken several hours before a minor typhoon hit the island. Calm before the storm...

Violet loves the Baby Bjorn. She shows signs of being a daddy's girl.


There is a very nice small park located between our hotel and the agency, otherwise the city is mostly a concrete jungle.


I needed new shoes, and we took a shopping expedition. I think Violet may have a shoe fetish like her her mom!


During one of our walks to the center of town, we found ourselves in the middle of a parade. It was very loud but Violet didn't seem to mind.

Meeting Violet (VIDEO)

Hello all,
Meeting Violet was one of the most moving days of our lives. To meet your child for the first time causes a little shift in our galaxy. It's been a twisty windy journey that we wouldn't change. This video highlights our trip to Taiwan, the anticipation and the first meeting.

The Next Chapter

We are finally off - traveling Chicago - Detroit - Osaka - Taipei. We arrived in Taipei around 9pm and quickly went to bed. The next morning we drove to FengYuan, about 2 hours south of Taipei, and met Violet. It was a long wait but Violet is amazing. She was a little unsure at first, but soon warmed up to us. We were bowled over with gratitude, joy and excitement.

Preparing for Violet

Violet's Baby Shower! We had a nice afternoon with friends and family, despite the occasional rain shower. I suppose a shower at a shower is appropriate. Our friends and family have been so supportive and generous, and excited about our impending journey.




We also spent the next day assembling the crib.

Second Update

Today we received the newest updates. She looks happy and healthy. In the second picture, it looks as though she is about to start reciting poetry any moment.