If only the rest of the wait had gone this quickly!

We have been insanely busy the past few days getting ready to travel. We're feeling joyful, panicked (in terms of finishing things at work), excited, nervous...also thinking a lot about Ryan's birthmother...just generally very emotional. I've frequently been getting teary with anticipation. Rob is already planning our "adoption video," and I choke up every time we talk about it, and at other random moments when I think about the moment -- incomparable to anything I have ever experienced -- when I will first hold my beautiful son.

Although I've been buying baby clothes over the past few months, it didn't fully sink in that there is actually going to be a baby living in our home until yesterday, when I purchased diapers and baby wipes for the first time in my life :-) Maybe the clothes alone didn't do it since I've purchased baby clothes many times before as gifts for others.

On another note, I have to comment that I am amused at how many people (at least 3 so far in our encounters) confuse Taiwan with Thailand, and the term "Thai" for Taiwanese. A woman who knows of our adoption commented to me today that she liked Thai food, and referred to the coconut milk and lemongrass "they" use in many of their dishes.

Speaking of food, we're really excited about that aspect of the trip too -- also fantasizing about the fabulous tea I'll get to drink (and I'm sure there will be a Starbucks within walking distance of the hotel for Rob the coffee-drinker). As for the food, I can't say for sure that I'll be brave enough to try the "stinky tofu" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinky_tofu), but maybe I will, just to say I did. We can't wait to try the beef noodles a fellow blogger mentioned. A Yahoo search for "Taiwan beef noodle" seems to indicate that it's a soup (http://www.sinica.edu.tw/tit/dining/0396_Noodle.html), and if it's anything like Vietnamese pho, we'll be seeking it out for every meal!
We're also hoping to find some shave ice (http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/ShaveIce.htm), which we became addicted to in Hawaii during our honeymoon, and learned that it can also be found in Taiwan, in an even fluffier form called "snowflake ice."

We'll have 6 full days in Taiwan, and Ryan will be with us for 5 of them. We hope to experience as much of the culture as possible, but our activities will, of course, revolve around Ryan's routine and whether he seems to enjoy being out and about or prefers the quiet environment of the hotel room. Either way, we're so grateful that we'll have those several days just to be with each other as a family without any of the distractions of daily life at home.

Oh, and happy 9-month "birthday", Ryan! We're so happy that we'll have you with us before the next one!