Please help us create a very special quilt for Camille. To welcome and celebrate a new life, there is a tradition in the northern part of China to make a Bai Jia Bei, or 100 Good Wishes Quilt. It is a custom to invite friends and family to contribute a patch of cloth with a wish for the baby. Part of the patch of cloth goes into the quilt for the baby, and the other part of the cloth can go into a special scrapbook with a wish for the child. Tradition states that the little one will sleep under the good wishes of family and friends.
This quilt has many meanings for us and is sure to be a special treasure for Camille. We like the idea of having a quilt filled with so much love from our family and friends around the world. We also like the connection to Camille's Chinese/Taiwanese heritage.We hope this quilt will bring her comfort on cold nights, remind her of how many people love her, and be something she will pass onto her own children and grandchildren. In many ways this quilt is a representation of our family...a colorful and warm mix of cultures highlighted by the friendships of those we have met around the globe.
If you would like to contribute to this special quilt for Camille, please send us:
1) One 8"x8" square of 100% cotton, washable fabric. It can be new or "used and meaningful" fabric. Please prewash the fabric so it has done all the shrinking it is going to do before you cut it
2) A 3"x5" or 4"x6" card with a good wish for our child and a scrap of your fabric (glued to the paper). Your wish can be simple or elaborate, handwritten or typed. It can be something you wrote or a favorite poem, lyric, quote, or anything else that strikes your fancy. Please remember to sign your wish and include your city and state.
We haven't decided upon a color theme yet so anything goes....but there will be purple in it since Camille's Chinese name means "purple". We are hoping to complete the quilt before Camille comes home (four or five months from now). Thank you for all of the good wishes you have already sent through phone and e-mail messages.
Love,
Lucia,Adam, and Noah
Noah has been keeping us on our toes lately with his monkey boy antics. Last week he locked his teacher out of the classroom and led a group of little boys in a game of chase while the teacher searched for the key. Today he drew on the sofa and ottoman with a ballpoint pen. While I was trying to take care of the "art" work, he went to the potty and instead of wiping himself in the proper manner he proceeded to jump on our bed which was covered with newly folded clothing. I found him giggling as
he sat naked on a pile of our pillows and formerly clean clothes! Needless to say I will be doing a lot of laundry tonight and Mr. Monkey Boy will be going to bed early!
It is hard for us to believe that Noah will be three soon. He is a bundle of energy and very eager to learn about his surroundings...always asking "why"! He loves music...dancing, singing, and playing any musical instrument he can get his hands on...especially his Okinawan drum. He also loves riding his trike, playing soccer, and climbing trees.
He's excited about being a big brother and often asks about Baby Camille. We have been talking a lot about the "baby house" where she is living right now. Adoption is not an easy concept to explain to a three year old. He has asked us on several occasions: "Is my baby sister in my tummy or mama's tummy?". We have been reading a lot of books about new siblings, but we know that having a sibling will be a big adjustment for our monkey boy. We know he will be a kind and generous big brother, but we hope he doesn't teach Camille too many monkey tricks!
It's A GIRL!!!
We accepted a referral today for our new daughter! She was born on November 7, 2005 in Taipei, Taiwan. Her Chinese name is Tzu-Hsuan and she was named by her maternal birth grandmother. "Tzu" means purple "Hsuan" is announcement or proclamation from the gods. Her American name will be Camille Estelle in honor of Adam's paternal grandmother.
Camille was 6 and 1/2 pounds and 19 inches long at birth. She is now two months old, around 12 pounds,alert, and very healthy. We are planning to visit her soon and anxiously looking forward to getting her photograph! We will post photographs as soon as we get some.
Noah is very excited about being a big brother and he wants to get on a plane today to get her (so do we!).
Thank you for all of your support,encouragement,and prayers on this journey to our daughter! 
Here are some highlights from 2005. The most exciting part of the year was starting the adoption process in Taiwan. We can't wait to have a new member of our family in 2006!
January started with a wonderful visit from Nana, Adam's mom. We celebrated New Year's Day by taking part in the Japanese custom of visiting the local shrine/temple.
February highlights included celebrating Noah's 2nd birthday and an amazing trip to the Sapporo Snow Festival in Northern Japan. The trip included impressive snow sculptures, beautiful winter scenery, lots of snow, and great food!
March was the month of azaleas and we went to a beautiful park in the northern part of the island to see them in full bloom. 
In April our dossier and photobook were received in Taiwan and we started the process of waiting to be matched with a daughter! We took a photo at the Fed Ex office...I think the clerk was a little puzzled by why we wanted a photo,but it was a big moment for our family.
During May we celebrated Children's Day by flying fish flags in our yard and visiting a small waterfront town that hangs thousands of fish flags to celebrate the holiday. We also had a great trip to Kyoto where Adam presented at an international family medicine conference. 
In June, Lucia's sister Emee came for a visit. We had a lot of fun seeing the local sites. Noah was especially sad to see her leave.
July and August were hot and humid! We spent a lot time exploring the beautiful Okinawa beaches and trying to stay cool.
In September, Lucia and Noah made a trip to Louisiana a few days after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. They helped Lucia's parents move into their beautiful new home and then had to evacuate the area when Hurricane Rita hit. It was a sad time to be in 
Louisiana but we were glad to be with family and friends. Noah especially loved being in the countryside with his Grandpa, Duchess, Emee, and all of their animals. He also loved dancing to lots of great Cajun music!
October was a fun month with a visit from Nana and Poobah and lots of Halloween parties. Noah and his friend, Olivia were a wonderful, lively pair of Shisa dogs! Shisa Dogs are usually made out of clay and they stand guard outside of Okinawan homes to keep the evil spirits away. Noah also started pre-school in October!
November was another month for celebrating ...Adam was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. We had a nice Thanksgiving celebration with friends and gave thanks for all of the blessings we have in our lives. We have been especially grateful to have such a wonderful circle of friends in Okinawa.
In December we spent a few days enjoying the sites of Tokyo before returning to a busy and fun holiday season on Okinawa. The highlight of the month was the arrival of our niece/Noah's cousin, Clementine!
Happy New Year from Okinawa, Japan!
We hope that 2006 will bring you all lots of laughter, good times, grand adventures....and perhaps a visit to Okinawa before we move back to the States this summer!
Camille at 11 days old
Camille at 15 days old 
Camille at 2 months old
