Checking off our adoption list/Baby Update for Christmas Illness

Adoption decree....done.....this makes Jaemin a US citizen, officially and legally our son, and changes his name (which we opted to keep his Korean name as his first name)

Birth certificate.....done.....Brian went with the adoption decree and picked up the birth certificate today.

Next, we'll go to SSA and get a new social security card in his new name (with our last name), so it will match on taxes.  And after we get our tax refund in 2010 I'll have the extra $500 to pay for the Certificate of Citizenship.  Yeah, that's a lot of money, but in order for them (the government) to officially change his status from legal resident to US citizen we do this.  It's better to cross all your t's and dot your i's while they're little and it's easy then when they are older and you have regrets for not completing everything possible.  After this we are completely done with every piece of paperwork possible!

I now have 5 little US issued birth certificates which will allow all of my children almost all of the same rights.  I won't even go into the ones our Korean-borns won't have 'cause it's kind of a sore point with most adoptive parents of internationally born children.

And, btw, my little man is still sick.  Not much on Christmas Eve I believe.  He's still got a slight temp and is a little crabby.  He mostly just wants mommy, so I literally sit for hours just holding him.  And he is sleeping in his toddler bed like such a big boys!  Now that he's in there he realized it's not so bad because before he goes to sleep mommy can crawl in with him and lay by him.  He does like that.  He just rubs my face and arm while I lay by him.  So SWEET!

Can you believe this is the same little guy who completely rejected me just a few months ago.  He's trusting us now.  That's a lot.

Lisa

Please give him a good Christmas

My poor baby is sick......again.  Hopefully, nothing major.  He started running a fever this evening and it progressively got higher, to 102.5, when I finally gave him some ibuprofen.  Brian ran to the pharmacy to refill some azithromycin.  He seems to chronically get these little sinus and airway problems like Chase did as a baby.  I swear it was every month with him and it is with Jae too.  I just pray he's not sick for Christmas.  His fever is warm enough to give him the really bright red cheeks since he's flush. He coughed up snot this morning (gross I know), but no fever, so I wasn't sure he was really sick.  He coughs a lot....poor baby.

My poor baby was sick on his first birthday, please don't let him be sick on his first Christmas with us.  I've been looking so forward to Christmas this year because of him.  Please make my baby boy better.

Lisa

YUM! sigeumchi namul

We had spinach side dish with sticky rice as our supper tonight.  We ate an aweful lot for lunch after finalization (Chinese) and were still pretty full at supper time, so we just made a light supper.  It was really good!  And for dessert we had Lois' Christmas cookies.  :)

Lisa

Wahooo!!! It's forever and official!

He's ours forever and ever.  I'm so glad to be done.  Only the certificate of citizenship to go, but I can do that at my leisure this Spring.  I'm just so happy that he's officially Jaemin William Park *******.  The judge and attorneys signed Jaemin's Happy Adoption Day book like they did with the girls too.  That was great.  She said we're still the only ones to ever have brought that book in for this.  She liked the idea.

He seemed to almost know what was going on all morning.  He's been all smiles all day.  Just happy with everything including the car ride, which is not normally him.  I could just look at him and he would smile real big for me.  When they say he's our responsibility forever now it just fills me with happiness because if we're responsible for him then he IS ours and we just love him so much!

What a happy day!  What a blessed mother I AM!!!!!!!!!






On the way to eat after court.





On the way home from everything.  Our newest American citizen was tired and so was big sis'.

Goofy bunnies

The girls wanted their picture taken since I was messing with the camera.  I told them to give each other bunny ears, assuming they both knew what that meant since big brothers do it all the time.  Well, apparently, Kae knew what it meant and she gave bunny ears, but Chelsi gave them to herself.

Too cute!



What a beautiful girl!

YES!

This is Jaemin's newest.  He's been shaking his shoulders and saying "uhuh" when he doesn't want something, but he really doesn't answer when it's yes.  Tonight, I asked him if he wanted to eat and he just looked at me.  I asked him to tell me yes and he, as big as he could, nodded.  Now when you ask a question he very honestly answers with either a huge nod or shaking his entire body for no.

He's is so funny.

Lisa

Oh my...

My first born is at his first school dance.  I can't believe it.  He actually asked to go.  He didn't do a date or anything which is fine with me seeing as he's only in 7th grade.  I forced him to take pictures with mom first.  He wasn't thrilled, but that was what it cost him to go.  :)  I'm shocked he actually wanted to go.  Brian said there were a couple of his classmates getting dropped off right before and after him without dates as well, so that's good.  They can just hang out for a bit.

This is the first time he's gone somewhere completely away from both of us and not with another family member either.  So weird to think he's that old already.  Hope he has a great time tonight!