A Gem Called Ruby

Ruby Kate 

Born: April 11th

Birthplace: Nakhon Si Tammarat, Thailand

• Name Meaning: A precious gem. 
  
• Middle Name:  After my beautiful Gram, Katherine (Kate)
  
• Thai Name: Suphawadi
  
• Thai Name Meaning: Supha = beautiful, Wadi = calm and peaceful. (Can also mean "good lady" if broken down as Su-good, pha=light , wadi= lady)
• Sign: Aries 
• Aries Personality: Full of energy, vivacious, very affectionate. Hungers for mental & spiritual responsibility. As a baby can be stubborn and need full attention. (watch out world, you have another ME on your hands!)
  
• Chinese Zodiac: 2007 was The Year of the Red/Fire Pig. Very lucky year. Happens only once every 600 years.
  
• Pig Personality:  Mild tempered, enjoys food & sleeping, doesn't worry much, active, outgoing, & extroverted.
  
• Lucky Color for Aries: Red
  
• Lucky Gemstone: Bloodstone (opaque green stone with red flecks) - stone of courage, vitality, & strength.
  
• Birthstone: Diamond - stone of purity, love, & strength.
  
• Flower: Geranium
• Lucky Color by birth day of the week (custom in Thailand) - Wed = Green.
• Lucky Number: 9 - The highest single digit & the most holy according to various cultures, religions & numerology.

The day she was born: Wednesday, April 11th. Average temperature that day in Thailand was 94F. There was 3/4 full moon in the sky heading towards the new moon on the 17th. 

Signs

(Except from my personal journal, March 29th, 2008)

I woke up this morning to pictures of the Songkhla Orphanage! Don't you just love the internet? My mind is still going overtime and I didn't sleep much. I said a long, hard prayer to protect this child and to give Jeff and I absolute certainty that this is supposed to be our child. My wish was granted.

I checked my email and had several emails from this wonderful woman from Australia describing her journey to her boys, the orphanage, the staff there and how great they are, and answers to many of my questions. What a Godsend this woman is and what a sign that this is meant to be!

Another interesting thing that happened was while I was working. I was helping to operate the simulator ride at our booth. A beautiful family with a Chinese daughter was in line. I couldn't help myself. I had to say hello and gush about our adoption and how we may have a daughter, etc. The mom was so incredibly nice and excited to hear about it. I told her that they said she had slight delayed development and that I was a little nervous, but knew she was to be our daughter. She said slight delays? That's nothing! She asked if we saw a picture and I explained that our agency won't show us her pic until we see the medical report and that will take 3 weeks. They don't want families falling in love with a picture and then finding out about their medical conditions and changing their minds. She said "well, we DID fall in love with her picture and nearly fell over when we got the medical report" That darling girl had all sorts of health issues and was "said" to be SEVERELY delayed. Turns out she did need a heart operation, but is in great health now. She rapidly caught up after being home and loved and is no longer behind at all! She said she is now happy, healthy and thriving (at 3) and she was so glad she didn't listen to those who were worried about delays. She recommended a great doctor in NY that works only with internationally adopted kids. Her name is Jane Aronson and I have heard of her. Think we will use her to review the medical when we get it in.

So, wow. If that wasn't the sign I needed, I don't know what is! The message was loud and clear. She is our daughter and it's all going to be okay.

We Might Have A Baby!!!!

I have to tell someone what is happening. I feel like I may burst! We might have a little girl and I am not supposed to get excited yet. How? It could be weeks yet until we get information and I am on pins and needles. Here is what happened...

(An excerpt from my personal journal - March 28, 2008)

My head is reeling. My heart is racing. Could this be real? We were told the wait for a child was 2-3 years and yet TODAY - only 4 months after we started - we may already know who our child is!

I am working the NY Auto Show this week. I get a message from Jeff  around 5 pm to call him right away. I didn't get off until 6. I didn't have any official breaks left, but I had a funny feeling about it and called him right away while on the show floor. He said he had gotten an email from Andrea, our case worker with Wacap. She is in Thailand and said she has seen a lot of new kids lately. Jeff had written to say "does that mean the waiting time might be less?" She wrote back to say, "No, the Thai Red Cross program is still currently 2-3 years for a healthy infant girl, but if you are interested, there is a little girl we saw today, her name is S---------- and she has slight delayed development, but is otherwise healthy. She is 11 months old and you could possibly have her home in 10-12 months."  

WHAT???? OMG!!! I nearly dropped the phone my hand was trembling so bad. I ran off the show floor half in shock, half crying, and still trying to wrap my head around this incredible information. Jeff repeated it for me. Like 5 times. I am in the restroom by now and my dear friend Tammy ran in to see if I was okay. Another co-worker saw me run in there crying and thought something was wrong and told her to check on me. I let her know I was okay and asked Jeff to repeat it all once again. Jeff wrote her back immediately, of course, and said "YES! We want her! Send us information asap!" He knew my response would be the same. Instantly we both knew this was our child even though we know very little about her.

We think she is from Songkhla, a province in the south of Thailand. I asked on the Thai Adopt Yahoo group if anyone had ever adopted from there. Nothing yet. So I just wait and think some more. I have been sitting in my room for hours still trying to digest it all. We hadn't thought about special needs. What exactly does slight delayed development mean? I am a little scared and yet I KNOW this is supposed to be my child. Dear God, please let me be right! 

Jeff visits me in Thailand!

There are SO many pictures from our time there, that I could never post them all. But here a few of my favorite shots of us in Bangkok and Hua Hin.  After he recovered from the long 23 hours of flying, Jeff loved it all as much as I did!

The first pic was taken on the terrace of hotel over looking the Chao Phraya river. It was my first night off since he arrived and we went on a sunset dinner cruise that night. Touristy, yes, but very nice. I wish I could have taken a good picture of Wat Arun (a temple) as we passed it in the moon light but it was too dark. I guess some things are meant to be enjoyed only in the moment. Actually, I just remembered I have a pic that comes close! Look on the right hand side of this page. There is a pic of Wat Arun at sunset.

The next 3 were taken in are Hua Hin (a little beach town 2 hours south of Bangkok). The town is easily reached by bus for about $2 US. It's a friendly town and you could walk everywhere. The market and local restaurants were all nearby. The massage in a sala overlooking the beach was an especially nice treat and only $20 US for an hour! Can we get that around here, please? I would be a much more laid back person!

This last pic was taken at dinner on his first trip out. No making fun of his pink tropical drink! It was my idea! 

2nd Trip to Thailand

Another wonderful trip. By this time, Muk & I

had become really close friends. We emailed a lot in between visits and still do today. On this trip she took me to Ayutthaya, the old capital of Thailand. 

The elephant ride was my idea. I have it on my "life list" of things to do. My original vision was to ride an elephant through a jungle. But, hey, we all have to work within our own limits and I can tell you this was definitely a better (safer) option for me!

The big Buddha was a special find. She took me

to a temple that she had never

 even been to. We went in and met a

 monk that saw us

 leaving. He pointed us

towards the back. We walked in and then looked up and up and up! The Buddha statue was 2 stories tall. If you look closely in the picture you can see two men (on the left) changing the Buddha's robe for the season. That gives you an idea of just how big it was.  It was a special place and a special day.

My First Trip to Thailand

What an amazing place. Thailand is called The Land of Smiles and in my opinion, home the world's nicest people! My gig singing at the Mandarin Oriental was incredible. My band was unbelievably talented and the staff at the hotel warm and kind and the most hospitable on earth! In an international city as bustling as Bangkok (think NY) you would be surprised to know that I didn't come across a single rude person in 3 months! Everyone I encountered was kind and considerate. I made many friends & one very dear friend that I will know forever, my friend Muk. Below are shots with my friends. The first is Muk & I and then second are all the girls that worked at the Bamboo Bar - Ay, Little Kae, Big Kae, and Muk. 

The sights and smells of the city are like no other. The smell of incense and teak wood and jasmine flowers battle the air with traffic, pollution, open fish markets, and stalls cooking spicy Thai dishes right on the corner. It's a land of great diversity, rich culture, and a peace and gratefulness that is rare to witness.

I had a wonderful time there and experienced so much. It was one of the best gigs I ever had, too. The band was great and the place packed most nights. Really one of the best times of my life. These shots were taken on my last night before I went home.

I Left My Heart In Bangkok, Thailand

Okay, it doesn't have the same ring as the Tony Bennett number, "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" but it sure does ring true in our hearts. I first went to Thailand in 2003. I had the great opportunity to live and work there a few months at a time, 3 years in a row. I am a jazz singer (using the stage name of "Maci Miller") and performed at the Mandarin Oriental's famous Bamboo Bar. A dream gig, but more than that, an amazing experience overall. I fell in love with the people, the culture, the food. All of it really. My husband came to visit me and he felt the same way, too.  I would almost feel "homesick" when I returned. In a way I couldn't quite understand. Now I do. We were meant to go back and be a part of this special place. It would end up being intricately connected to our lives in a way we couldn't know back then. The next time we visit Thailand we will be bringing home a daughter. Doesn't the Universe work in mysterious ways?