Are you a carrier?

I am.  :)

It always looked like such a yuppie thing to do, years ago, to me.  When our first daughter came home 6 years ago she came home with a carrier.  I thought, okay, I'll try this out.  It hurt, she hated it, I quit!  Then when our 2nd daughter came home 3 years ago I'd read how good it is for them to be carried more to help with bonding.  I tried the hip hammock shortly.  It hurt my hips and shoulders....exactly what it wasn't supposed to do.  I then got a Baby Hawk and loved it.  It was very comfortable.  It was the kind you tie and I got very good at getting baby on my back and getting it wrapped around me and her all by myself.  But, by the time she was 2 I thought it would be easier to have buckles and she still liked being carried in the "backpack" as she called it, so I sold my Baby Hawk and got an Ergo.  I've had it every since.  I carried her until she was about 3.  She would bring it to me and tell me "backpack".  I stuffed it in the van so we'd have it with us and apparently that's where I left it.

When we found out we were having another baby I happened to find it back.  So glad I still had it.  Jaemin loves to be carried.  He feels very safe when we're out and about and he knows no one will take him from me if I wear him.  I swear it's his favorite place to sleep too.  If we go to Walmart around nap time, he goes on my front and sleeps through most of the shopping.  If I'm doing dishes in the evening he goes on my back.  Sometimes he sleeps and sometimes he doesn't.  Tonight he slept the whole time I cleaned the kitchen.  Sometimes he gets so excited just at the sight of me getting it out because he thinks we're going somewhere.  I even wore him at my sister's wedding...yep in my strapless gown.  Hey, the gowns were champaigne with black sashes and the black belt on the carrier happened to hit me exactly where the sash was and the carrier is khaki (with bugs).  :)  He was a happy little camper all day at the wedding and all night at the dance.  He went on my back and away we went.

Never in a million did I see me being one of those moms walking into a store wearing a baby.  Always seemed sort of hippyish.  :)  But, it's SO much easier.  I have to get things done sometimes.  With 5 kids and working full-time, no house cleaner or cook (except Brian and I), we have to get things done ourselves.  The carrier allows me to hold Jaemin, pat his bottom or his feet like he likes, give him hugs, etc. while I'm doing other things.  I probably wouldn't have been so against them if I'd known how comfortable a good one could be.  And....I still get hugs this way.  When Jaemin's on my back he grabs my sides with his hands and gives me hugs.  That's so much better than him standing at the gate while I do dishes and just watching.

Lisa

HAD TO MAKE ONE MORE POST

JAEMIN HUGGED ME!!!  A real hug!  He's not been feeling well the past week.   His teeth have really been hurting him, but today the one that was trying to come through did and he was in a much better mood.  Brian and I have been up with him at least 4 times every night for the past week and sometimes he's up for awhile.  He would just cry and cry even after medicine to make him feel better.  I felt so bad for him.  Tonight I was kissing the girls goodnight and I had him on my lap.  He laid his head against my chest while I was on Chelsi's bed and really snuggled in.  So I took him to his bedroom next.  Usually, we listen to music and I just hold him in his blanket for awhile until he relaxes enough to go to sleep.  He doesn't usually want to directly face us.  Tonight he wanted nothing but to directly face me.  He put his arms up on my shoulders and laid his head down.  I squeezed him with a little hug and he squeezed back.  He kept doing it until he fell asleep.  Nights like this I could just hold onto him forever.  He just made me want to cry because it was what I've been waiting for and working for and wanting for 3 1/2 months.  He really returned love.  He wasn't playing a game, he was loving back.  I think with him not feeling well and us being up with him at all hours and taking him to bed, etc. he decided to trust us.  Jaemin absolutely made my entire night!  I was really starting to worry a bit.  He just missed his foster mother so much and I wasn't sure he'd trust us.  It just seemed to take so long compared to the girls.  He's really getting there now.  He's become a momma's boy and likes to cuddle so much more than ever and I LOVE it!

Nothing is better in a momma's heart than her little boy.  Jaemin is my little man and I love him so much!

Lisa

Another email to Korea

We received another email from Jaemin's foster family.  It's such a blessing to get emails like this.  We've never had this opportunity before.  I have to get them translated, so it takes a bit before I can read any, but it's still nice to have them.  I'm trying to learn to do some of the translating myself.  I got quite a few words, but there are rules I just don't understand.  I'm doing better and understanding more each time I try.  I can now translate the characters to Romanized letters, but then I get somewhat lost when looking some words up.  One character may change the sound of the next making it a little harder for me.  I hope to one day be able to write back in Hangul myself...without translation.

Youn Su, please have patience with me.  I would like to continue writing if you don't mind.

Lisa

7 years ago half way around the world

a little girl was born.  We had just had our homestudy completed and sent to Korea just days before she was born and when we received her referral in January of the next year, we knew she was meant to be ours.  Kaelin (HaeBin) has been home for 6 1/2 years now and we love her!  On top of today being her birthday, she lost her 5th tooth....after many weeks of wiggling.  :)

Happy Birthday Binah!



Kaelin wanted to try on Jaemin's Reds bandana.

So sweet

I just got all the kids to bed and Jaemin rolled right onto his side as he always does and hugged his puppy as he slept.  It's just so cute!

No scratching

Jaemin has scratched at his ears since day one.  Now he pretty much just picks on his left ear.  It was looking pretty bad behind his ear this morning and today, so we've mittened him.  He has medical tape around his mitten so he can't scratch for a day.  I'm hoping he'll forget about his little habit since it's so hard for him to do now and quit all together.

It hasn't stopped him from playing, just makes it a little trickier to crawl fast on the hardwood without his arm going out from under him.  :)  He's really not doing bad though.

We're getting some birth stuff!

I emailed our agency and asked them to ask Korea if the agency outside of Seoul had any pics of Jaemin prior to 5 months old.  They told us theydoubt it because they generally do not take pictures on intake.  All the other Korean agencies do, but oh well, I guess.

We had a message today from our US agency that Korea didn't have any pictures, but do have his footprints from the hospital.  How awesome!  With adoption you have to be excited for every little thing you get and this is GREAT!  With Chelsi, we actually had feet molds her foster mother had done and framed for us.  Beautiful!
Lisa