Recycling for Korea *trip*

So, we've decided we really need to go to Korea as a family.  The girls and I think the boys and their dad need to experience what we experienced and profoundly loved in Seoul.  And we'd like the chance to explore Korea more and really would like to take all three kids to their birth cities, Gwangju and Cheju.  This will be fairly expensive since Cheju is an island and will require all day with a one night stay and a plane ride.

I talked to an adult adoptee and she suggested getting the kids involved in saving for the trip, since it's going to be a massive savings to fly 7 people from the midwest to Incheon.  Best case is about $1,000/ticket.  That might be difficult.  Anyways, she suggested having the kids recycle cans.  Since we rarely drink out of cans ourselves, we'd like to collect other people's cans.  So, if you have can, know us, and would like us to come pick them up when you have a bag or a bucket full (smashed or not), we'll take them.  The kids can smash them and then Brian will bring them in and we'll put the money in our Korea account.

The girls are already planning what they want to see and do this time and I'm just as bad as they are.  I pray we can really go.  I fully loved our short visit to Korea, but since we were bringing our son home we were limited to how much we could really do.  We had to stay rested for the long trip home with a new baby.

We hope to go to the Korean Folk Village in Suwon again.  We hope to take day trips to Cheju and Gwangju.  We will definitely set up visits to all 3 foster mothers again and visit the babies homes.  I'd like to visit the maternity homes if we can as well.  That may be something for the girls and I.  We'd like to go to Itaewon and Namdaemun for shopping this time.  I'd like to see some of the other palaces and maybe the Blue House.  If we could afford one of the shows, that would be awesome.  We have a lot of hopes and dreams for this trip and who knows if we'll even be able to save enough to go, but we're trying.  The kids' passports expire in just under 5 years, so we have to be done saving by then.  That will be right before Cole graduates and probably the best time for our last, big, family vacation.  And little man will be at least 4 or 5 by then and able to tolerate the trip.

If you don't know what to get us for Christmas, etc....money for the trip or airline miles would be awesome! ;)

I absolutely cannot wait!

Lisa

Oh my little man

Even when he's grumpy or getting up at night, I love him so much!  I take the once or twice he gets up at night as an extra opportunity to hold him a little more.  And grumpy, sometimes I can hold him too...depends on why.  :)  He's just an awesome blessing.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE This man so much.  He gave me such big hugs this morning and it just melts you into pure liquid.

We went to our annual friends' fish/frog fry last night and he did great.  One of the bigger gatherings he's been to since being home.  We brought our little gate (coral) in case he got tired and we could then keep other kids away from him.  We decided, ahead of time, that only the close friends who have been around him a lot in the past months were allowed to hold him so we'd have an easy reason to keep him pretty off limits.  His world is still very small and needs to be so.  So only one of my friends held him for a bit and he flirts with her anyways, so it was fine.   He was in his little gate thing and I went to go get one of the girls something, not too far off, while Brian was frying.  Someone came close enough to the gate to scare him and he made sure he cried loud enough to get everyone's attention immediately.  As soon as I held him, he was fine though.  He's definitely looking for us.  I think he just couldn't see us when she came near and it scared him.

He's truly doing well and I can't imagine our lives, no matter how chaotic, without him.
Lisa

Pullin' and Teeth

Jaemin has become an expert at pulling up.  So, I guess cruising and, inevitably, walking is next.  We're ready though.

Coming to get paci.



Starting the climb.





Almost got it.





And it's mine!



Wait, I just lost it, oh well, I have fingers!



Wait, I want paci.



Jaemin's first teeth.  Yes he got them at the same time.

Getting a routine in order

This is my first week back, so I've been taking leave early to make sure Jaemin knows I'm not leaving him.  Not that he's not fine anyways.  I guess since it's grandma's daycare and we've visited so often AND his brothers and sisters are there he seems very adjusted.  The first day he went to her just fine and was content.  Then when I picked him up she'd woke him up for me and he was very groggy and didn't seem to care if I was there or not.  Today I've been a bit worried am I doing this right or not?  Because today, again, he went to her very easily, but didn't want to come back to me.   :(  I think he was interested in what the big kids were eating and he knew who was going to feed him that and with this boy, food comes first!  I picked him up today and his back was to me because grandma was holding him across the room.  I was talking to Chelsi as I entered and grandma said she knew I was there because as soon as he heard my voice he started kicking.  By the time I walked over there he was getting really excited.  :)  Made me feel SO much better!!

I'm so glad to think he just might be adjusting better than the girls did.  I just didn't expect that, but will still treat him as if he's not and use our bonding tools.  He loves being in the carrier anyways.  He can sleep on me while I make supper or do dishes and he's perfectly content to do that.  So am I!  As long as, in the end, he's attached that's all that matters.

Lisa

Whatcha doin'?

Usually, if the kitchen floor has been swept, I just leave the gate down 'cause little man likes to cruise the floor and just look around.  There's nothing to hurt himself on, so I just let him explore a little.  Today he decided the cabinet under the sink looked interesting and checked it out.  I guess it's time to start latching it before he pulls the trash can out.  Otherwise there's nothing under there to hurt himself, but oy would that be messy.











Well, I'll just read then.  Dad stays out of trouble like that.

Starting our daycare transition

Little man went to grandma's today for 1 1/2 hours.  It was torture for me, but he did great!  I miss him so much.  I miss his smiles when he's away and just watching his cute little self crawl around.  I figured he'd do fine since he's so social and he knows who she is and we've visited, but it's always harder on the mom.  He was excited when I came to pick him up which makes me feel better.  Tomorrow we'll do it again, but a tad longer.  :(

I hope we don't lose any of the bond we have.

Lisa

Baseball 2009

We're finally done with ball and we lost every game.  :)  We were the youngest team out there since at least 75% of the boys were playing up.  My friend took some pictures of Chase at a game since I didn't get to go to very many and my hands were pretty full with a certain little boy.  Funniest thing though last night.  Poor Chase has struck out the majority of the season.  I really don't think he was giving it his all.  So Brian thought it was a sure thing to promise to take him frogging if he got a home run on the last night....thinking he barely gets on base, what's it going to hurt.  Sure enough, his last hit of the night and season was a home run!  I cheered that boy 'til he crossed home plate.  And I just had to laugh when I reminded Brian of his bet!  Chase was telling all the boys he was going frogging when he made it in.  Great night for my boy.



Dad actually watching the game and being a quiet coach for once.  :)

I love this BOY!

My boy.  What can I say....I am firmly ATTACHED to this sweet baby boy!  We've been on this road for 5 weeks now and he's awesome!   He's so much more comfortable now.  When he's tired, he just goes to sleep, on the floor, on me...



He's happy the vast majority of the time now.



He is the so awesome.  He actually slept all the way through the night last night.  Not even up for a little butt pat.  Then he didn't wake until daddy left around 6:30.  He's so punctual about the morning nap too.  He fell asleep on my lap at his usual time.  Don't get me wrong, he has got a temper on him, but he's a little lover boy.  He has my heart and I'm done!

Now, if I could find a way to have enough money to not go back to work or work part time and be with him more. :(

Happy 4th 2009!

We didn't do anything major, but the kids still enjoyed it.  We actually went to town to watch the 4th parade.  We've never done a parade and the kids LOVED it!  Chelsi was VERY outgoing and would ask anyone who walked by, in the parade, for candy.  She was NOT shy at all which is a little odd.  We had met our friends and their kids to watch together and they all enjoyed it.  I don't think the two youngest, ages 2 and 3, stopped waving their flags once!  They had to be the two cutest girls at the parade!  Afterwards we went to their house to watch some fireworks we bought and they bought with some other friends.  It really was a nice evening and the kids loved getting to play and be together.

At the parade.

The dads...



The two little girls



The 6 year olds.



The 8, 12 and 9 year olds...in that order.



Me and my baby.



Our little spectators.



4 of our sparklers.

My baby boy/Miracles

seems to really be becoming "my little boy".  I pray this stays when I have to return to work and he goes to daycare.  I'm so thankful I can work part days for a bit to be with him more.  He's starting to really snuggle and trust.  Trust is HUGE!  There's probably a post somewhere in here about that back when Chelsi arrived home.  I can hold him for a bit in his room while we listen to Brahm's and lay him down awake and rub his head, face and bottom and he'll go to sleep shortly after I walk out.  He never even fusses now.  He knows if he does I will come back and rub some more.  He trusts.  Makes me feel SO good!  Even his grumpy isn't as grumpy as it was just a couple of weeks ago.  He's been home 5 weeks now which totally amazes me.  It's starting to feel like we've known him forever already and we only found out 3 1/2 months ago we were even having a baby.

It's amazing the changes a family can go through in a short period of time; good or bad.  We had some rough and rocky last year and some mind-blowing amazing this year.  Trust mind-blowing, amazing miracle.  That's what this feels like.  Even thinking back to visiting Korea last month to get him.  It all felt so surreal and felt like a miracle.  I mean it's a miracle this other Korean agency found us and our two little ones are together as their birth mother wanted.  I so hope she reads our annual letters one day and knows this so she can feel better they will always know each other and love each other.

I think about my life and some of the pain; real pain; loss, fear, anxiety.  But, how many people get to witness these kinds of miracles in their life.  I witnessed a man paralyzed from the neck down walk again.  I witnessed 2 beautiful children born of my husband and I.  I witnessed 3 beautiful children travel all the way from another country to allow us to love them.  I witnessed God putting all of this together and orchestrating all of it regardless of any mistakes we made along the way.  I know there will always be pain in our lives, but I will try so hard to remember these miracles every day of my life.  I know there will always be days when I'm at my wits end due to stress of being a working mother, but I will always try to look at my family and thank God for these incredible miracles.  How on Earth did we get so lucky and deserve to witness this and enjoy these miracles in our lives?  I feel incredibly blessed to have them here with me and feel little fingers around my neck and being hugged by yet another child God has bestowed on us.

Lisa