Henry is still eating like a champion. He loves raisins but will consume anything we’ve put before him so far.

A mother’s work is never done.#MissionHenry ?? pic.twitter.com/wHZenEN67B

— Spencer J Rothfuss (@SJRothfuss) October 31, 2016

His hair is short, sparse, and wiry. In his baby pictures he was completely bald. His fingers are long and thin, perhaps we have another pianist on our hands.

Henry is also, unlike his brothers, strikingly passive. This could just be a combination of his shyness and new surroundings. He accepts almost everything that happens to him without protest. He has only been really upset twice in the last 50 hours. He cried silently when his ayi (nanny) handed him to mom but screamed when mom took his shoe and sock off so he could leave a footprint on a form. That’s another difference between him and Michael, he likes to keep his clothes on. ?

Tuesday in the life of the #rothfuss8.#MissionHenry ?? pic.twitter.com/LF3l0HARbN

— Spencer J Rothfuss (@SJRothfuss) November 1, 2016

Today (Tuesday), Hanna and Spencer went to see the terra-cotta warriors. The rest of the family had a quieter day, going to a nearby park and having nap time at the hotel.

On Wednesday, we have the opportunity to go to the Baoji Children’s Welfare Institute where Lucy and Henry lived. We hope to be able to see Lucy’s foster parents again but cannot be sure that will work out. Thursday we tour Xi’an’s beautiful city wall and after some more paperwork for Henry on Friday, we fly to Guangzhou to begin our work with US immigration. After Friday, we will be done working with the Chinese government (for this trip), Henry is officially ours in their eyes.

?

We are now 16 hours into our incredible #MissionHenry ?? adventure. Last night we had two goals: Henry needs to eat and sleep. Both were a smashing success. He loves to eat everything we’ve tried; bread, rice, beef, and raisins. Especially raisins in nice red boxes because he can open, close, and stack them after you empty them. He drinks a bottle before and after sleeping, which he did for about 10 hours.

We were warned that he was shy and would only talk when he was very comfortable. So far he is mellow and content. He plays with toys and toddles around our room but always comes back to be with mama. He has a ready smile and even coos occasionally. He enjoys rides in buses, elevators, and our baby sling. 

Target retrieved.#MissionHenry ?? pic.twitter.com/Qk6Kpffz0E

— Spencer J Rothfuss (@SJRothfuss) October 31, 2016

Thank you so much to everyone who has been supporting and praying for us. Y’all mean so much to us. 

Just have to say one more time,
thank you for all the love, prayers and support!
We would not have gotten this adventure off the ground without you!

Local Omaha friends and family,
please meet us at the airport when we return on 
November 10
at 9:44 pm
DL0783
(Delta, Detroit to Omaha)
We would love to see you and let you get
a peek of our Henry before we start cocooning!

And since, as Bilbo Baggins would tell us…
“…adventures are not all pony-rides in May-sunshine…”
please pray for us as you think of us!

No more pumpkins,
and only 1 more sleep
until we leave for China and this
precious boy!

We heard from our friend who is serving at the orphanage this week
and she has shared a few pictures with us!
(Henry is the little guy on the right who knows what to do with that spoon!)

Yummy!

Taste and see that the Lord is good,
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:8

Thank you for all of your generous contributions to our story!
We more than met our goal and will be able to realize the full
$3,000 matching grant offered to us by Lifesong for Orphans!

Today we counted the money in our family fundraising jar.
Spencer, Hanna, and Lucy did fundraisers
(even Michael sold a notecard or two!)
and many of you supported them in this.
(Becca was faithfully serving in Sicily!)
Thank you so much!
$864.15

We have had some really touching contributions from young people too.
Our niece and nephews, some beautiful sisters, and also a special young lady
who made and sold handcrafted necklaces and
gave us her donation this last Sunday.
She is so excited to help Henry come home and gave us this note.
So precious to us!

We made a little video message for Henry tonight!
Our friend will be leading a team that is serving in China at Henry’s
orphanage starting on October 24.
Hopefully she will get the chance to share this
with our little man and his Ayis!

We are busy over here at the Rothfuss house researching,
preparing to travel, and packing!

We are also nesting…
cleaning, stocking the freezer and pantry, trying to get ahead on school work,
assembling bunk beds, setting up the pack and play
in mom and dad’s room, just in case.
Preparing for our early days at home in many different ways.

We will return home from our travels and cozy up to cocoon here at home for a season.
Today while doing some reading on line, I happened upon a wonderfully encouraging and helpful blog called A Beautiful Symphony.
I found this post particularly helpful as I thought about the season
we will enter into upon coming home. The author likens this season of cocooning
to a time of respite to recover from the necessary trauma of adoption. Here is a quote that helps to see the experience from the point of view of the adoptive child…

“A great way to think about newly adopted children is as if they are a newborn. In a sense, they are just that. A newly born child into a family in another country where NOTHING is like anything they have ever known: new language, new people. new food, new home…”

She also gives some suggestions for cocooning that would be helpful to other adoptive parents or their friends and family members seeking to understand
the cocooning experience.

This is a precious season in the life of a family, but also very challenging as well.
This will be the third time we have welcomed home a newly adopted child
as the year was coming to a close and springtime’s celebration of new life
has been so, so sweet each time so far!
You can look forward to what’s to come with us!
This beautiful butterfly has grown 4 inches and gained 12 pounds since coming home two years ago!

Thank you so much for reading along, praying for us, helping us prepare to travel, participating in Tag the Bag and our other fundraisers.
We appreciate you all so much!

What’s in a Name?

We hope a blessing and words of life spoken over our new little man!
We know that his Chinese name, Chen Yang, means “Morning Sun.”
We are choosing for him the name…

Henry Clyde Chenyang Rothfuss.

Henry means “ruler or head of the home.”
Clyde is the name of a river in Scotland and
its name possibly comes from an old word for “cleansing one.”
It is also the name of Jason’s father.
So, for our little Morning Sun whose name reminds us of
the Bright and Morning Star, our Lord, Jesus…
we hope and pray that you will one day taste living water
from our source, the cleansing one,
and that He will be the head and ruler of your heart!

We are counting the days until all seven of us board that plane!!

Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
    I will bring your children from the east
    and gather you from the west.
Isaiah 43:5

We have travel dates!!!

We depart Omaha on Wednesday,
October 26 and arrive home on Thursday, November 10!

For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God.
Psalm 86:10

p.s.
You can still Tag the Bag until Sunday, October 9!!