Being Mommy Frig

Alphabet Soup

2012-02-03T22:16:00.003-06:00

"S-T-O-P, stop Mommy, and there's going to be another one." I hear this each morning as we approach the first of two stop signs on our way out of the neighborhood. CJ is now able to quickly recognize his letters and digits.

"Brochiosaurs can't read Mommy!" CJ tells me last night when I suggested that his stuffed animal should read him his bed time stories. This was a gift from my cousin and the first stuffed animal he has grown attached to since he arrived.

"What time is it Mommy?" CJ is learning about time and is very curious about the current time and the passing of time.

"What's next Mommy?" Christian is always very curious about our next sequence of events. When you tell him the very next thing it will always be followed by "And then what's next Mommy?"

"Christian Jae-won __________" CJ was very proud of himself once he was able to clearly say his full name.

"Why?" CJ is deep into his why phase.

Snow Day

2011-12-10T15:49:00.001-06:00

Today CJ, Appa, Mamaw, Papaw and Omma all went to the neighborhood Snow Day in the park. For those of you that have been following for awhile you may recall when CJ and Omma went alone last year. Well what a difference a year makes.

He keeps recounting how he "threw one at Daddy, and one at Mommy, and another at Daddy, and then at Mommy......."

Appa giving snow ball instructions.

Planning Attack

Getting the hang of it.

Trying it out for himself.

Getting so more help.

Pitch pointers

First time to enjoy a bounce house.

Running from the camera.

Having a blast "lying down".

Better Late the Never

2011-12-10T15:47:00.001-06:00

I finally loaded the few Halloween photos we took this year. Appa and I are not the best when it comes to taking photos. CJ kept calling himself a "Mater Shark".

Always a Cow

2011-12-02T17:34:00.001-06:00

Every time CJ's teacher sings Old McDonald she does the cow, and then I think she stops, because CJ fights us when we want to do any other animals.

I have been very bad about doing updates we have been so busy lately. The holidays have been so much fun this year now that he is aware of the specialness of things. He was Mater, from Cars, for Halloween. We didn't Trick or Treat, but he had a party at school.

Thanksgiving was small and relaxing. He was super excited for the day, and sad on Friday morning when it was over. He actually asked "Is this my Thanksgiving?" that morning and when I said it was over his exclamation was "Oh man!"

He is super into the Christmas lights, the tree, all of the lights on other people's house. I am really excited about Christmas this year. I can tell it is going to be a blast.

In non-holiday news, CJ is starting to try and read. His favorites, a few Thomas the Train's he has memorized, were the first. He wants to know the letters and is trying to put the sounds together. He is asking "Why" and wants everything to be his. His vocabulary is growing exponentially and his sentence structure as well.

He continues to be very humerus, and is always trying to be funny. Even as I type he is driving his father crazy with his practical jokes (returning a sock to it's place while Daddy wasn't looking). I have a feeling this is karma at work. Unfortunately, I have a feeling I will also pay the price once CJ reaches school age.

One of my favorite things right now is CJ climbing into my lap and saying "I'm your boy baby, right Mommy?" We are also very lucky that he continues to be sweet, caring, and generally very willing to please. What a blessing!

Hello South Korea

2011-10-20T19:32:00.001-05:00

I see you stop by every now and again. I wonder who you are, and how you got here. Was it a random search? If so I hope you found what you were looking for here.Is it the same person watching CJ grow or different people. Did you come for a short visit or stay awhile. No matter the cause I want to say welcome. Thank you for coming by!

Little Heart

2011-10-18T18:01:00.000-05:00

We were all very lucky Mamaw and Papaw were able to take CJ to his cardio appointment when it was changed at the last moment (this does seem to be a trend). CJ was initially apprehensive of the EKG. The racing of his heart made the test impossible, but Mamaw called him down so the nurse was able to run the test. As with the last time he was very still during the ultrasound due to a combination of TV and a little bit of reasoning that the more still he was the faster it would all be over.

The results were not bad, but maybe not as good as previous. All of his exercise is taking a bit of a tole and the left side of his heart is starting to harden. Doc says it isn't nearly as bad as if it was hardening on his right, but still needs to be watched. We will return again in another six months.

In the mean time we are all very grateful we don't have to try and limit to movement. I was especially so this afternoon as he ran "faster" through the park trails as we walked out dog. He may be a cross country star one day.

CJ Just Like Daddy

2011-10-12T18:22:00.002-05:00

Months ago Appa was sad because Mommy was getting all of the love and attention. At that time Grandma told us those preferences seem to swing back and forth to the extreme. Well we are currently in a Daddy phase for sure. Mommy is appreciating getting to see their interactions and the deepening of their relationship. She does not appreciate being treated like a second class citizen when she is the one that picks CJ up when he really wanted to see Daddy.

CJ's drive to be like Daddy leads him to pick out a green towel for bath because that's the color Daddy was using this morning, or to eat his okra because Daddy does. Other ways he is like his Daddy, but doesn't know it yet, include preferring his nickname, loving singing and a the constant joking. I'm telling you these two boys keep me on my toes!

The Star

2011-09-28T18:08:00.000-05:00

Oustide Daddy's former dorm room

He is normally such a neat eater.

The obligatory wearing Daddy's shoes pictures

Opening very special gifts from a very special friend!

Family Day dinner with Godparents

Same evening - much later!

Family Day

2011-09-16T18:14:00.000-05:00

Today is one year of family. Daddy picked CJ and I up from the airport after we traveled for almost 36 hours with no sleep for mommy and less than an hour for Christian. We have come so far from those first days together.

Things CJ is up to at one year home-

Counting to his teens
Singing the ABCs by himself
Wants lots of the Itsy-Bitsy Spider and Old McDonald Has a Farm
Transitioning to the 3 to 6 class at school is going smoothly (although he does miss his old teacher)
Folding small blankets
Getting to spend LOTS more time with Mamaw and Papaw
Being so very bossy and wanting EVERYTHING to be his

We celebrated with special Jamba Juice snacks after school and 1.5 hours at the splash pad/park. Now we are calmly waiting for CJ's Godparents to pick us up for Korean dinner. Calmly only because CJ doesn't know we are waiting.

Gottcha Day

2011-09-16T18:11:00.000-05:00

Dear Christian Jae-won,

It has been one year since I first saw you, first met you, since you first became real to me. Until the moment that you first looked at me, your smile fading and quickly turning to tears, the pictures I held were only a fantasy of what was to come. My smart little man, you so quickly realized what my presence in that small office meant for your near future. You and your foster mom held each other so tightly. You grieved and your Aunt Robin and I sat quietly holding back our own tears. So sad for what we only could imagine the two of you were experiencing. Not wanting to discount the final moments - not wanting to act as if our happy anticipation should overshadow the real grief that we could see and hear.

I was Omma from that very day. Now no longer Omma, but still so much your Mom or Mommy or sometimes even Mother. That day you were placed into my arms, and from that moment you were mine. From the forever taxi cab ride filled with your wails, to the sad and much quieter moans of your nap, I have loved you. Your sweet laughter and ready smile always bring a shine to my face.You know my hearts strings.

Our time in Korea together was short, I anticipate returning one day to more fully appreciate the country of your birth, while the journey was long. You were strong and amazing. You are such a trouper. You were scared, and confused. You would not sleep. I am so blessed to be your forever Mommy.

Love,

Mom

PS. This is the song I sang to you after over 24 hours of travel back to our home while we ate what was our 7th or 8th meal that day sitting in the Dallas airport.

It was the day that never ends. It just goes on and on my friend. Just when you thought you got to the end. It starts right back over again......

Sung to the tune of "Song that Never Ends" and dedicated to Alexandra L. for teaching me the original version

New Class

2011-08-23T17:13:00.000-05:00

Today I dropped CJ off in the transition class that he normally attends (18 to 36 months), but he was not there when I went to pick him up. I saw his show-and-tell (Thomas the Train Goes Fishing easy reader) waiting for me, but there was not a chorus from all the kids in circle "Christian your mommy's here!" like usual. Instead Ms. Amanda came up to me, followed by a few of the girls, to tell me he spent the day "up front". The girls then proceeded to ask me where he had gone. I think they were very confused to have their ladies man taken away from them.

I had known this was coming, but it took me by surprise none the less. Ms. Amanda shared that he had been a bit confused, just sitting there at first, but had eventually begone to participate. At that point I said my good-bye and proceed to "the front" where the 3 to 6 year-old class is held.

The older kids were just getting done with nap, and CJ was taking his turn in the potty when I arrived. He didn't even get to have his snack so he ate it in the car. Ms. Ann said he did very well with using the restroom, and eating (I told her the eating was an easy one). I was also told that I should just bring him to that class in the morning and we would see how it goes.

There were three kids from his class that moved with him to join the 13 that were already there. Then next month there will be three more from the younger class moving up. There are three teachers in the room and one is the owner. I can't wait to see how much he progresses in his new class.

As a side note he was really getting into Nirvana today on the way to school.

Family Vacation

2011-08-02T12:31:00.000-05:00

I took the advice of my IB coordinator and turned a summer training opportunity into a family vacation. When it was initially suggested to me my first step was to check the calendar for conflicts and second was to look at the daily agenda. Well there were no conflicts and the days were fairly short, we ended at 4:30 and then 2:30, so I would get to spend the evening with the boys.

CJ and Daddy got to spend some awesome quality time together. They went to visit one of Daddy universities, our state capitol, and took advantage of having a pool on site. We were lucky to get a suit so they could grab a bite and have quiet time before I would come home each afternoon. Thankfully the training itself turned out to be very worthwhile or I don't know if I could have stood to miss out on all of the fun.

On the first evening we took advantage of the unique food trucks located all over the city. The spot we choose allowed us to start with some amazing sushi and follow with the best Thai Putt-Thai Daddy and I think we have ever had. CJ didn't quite understand that we were indeed going to get more food after the sushi was gone and kind of had a bit of a panic, but I was eventually able to convince him that did was not over.

The second night we traveled to a town about an hour away to play in the river. The cold water was very refreshing, and after an initial issue with a too large life-jacket, Christian seemed to really enjoy himself. The end to a great day was being joined by Grandma and Pops for dinner. They arrived just in time to get Christian to eating, and we found a pleasant location with seats over the river. Then as a bit of a special gift to all involved CJ went home with his grandparents for his very first overnight stay. Everything went extremely well as far as all that was concerned.

Appa and I returned to our hotel, after I finished off a half day of training the next day, we took a leisurely journey towards the grandparents' house with a stop for some excellent BBQ along the way. That final afternoon and evening was full of good quality family time which included one of my father's brothers and his wife. We left early the next morning to make it home in time for a classmates birthday party.

1, 2, 4....

2011-07-21T11:58:00.000-05:00

CJ has been saying his numbers more and more lately. Not always that he is necessarily counting any particular item, but just kind of absentmindedly practicing saying them while he is playing or doing other such things. Interesting fact is that when he does start at the beginning he seems to always skip his age or maybe the fact that he always skips the three is why he tends to start at four or beyond.

This morning he and I were once again talking about how the figure on the front of his shirt is not a frog, but a monster, when he asked about the figures on the front of mine. This is a night shirt I wear often and having been a gift to me from an Alaskan trip (taken not by me but my Grandmother) has several moose on the front. Each moose is several different bright unrealistic colors and patterns. After he asked me what the third figure was, to which I relpied "a moose" yet again, I asked if he wanted to determine out how many moose were on my shirt.

Now we let the counting begin. While he did need help several times, to get started and keep going, there was one time when he got all the way from one to nine without any reminders or needs of assistance. I am sure you can imagine how excited I was and that the overwhelming positive feedback from his success encouraged him to continue trying. CJ does seem to be taking to numbers faster than letters to which you know I couldn't be more than please.

A Day at the Museum

2011-07-16T16:22:00.002-05:00

A new NRA member is born.

Fun Mirrors

"I don't know who Harry Potter is, but anyone that wears a hat and glasses has to be cool."

Papaw Participates

"I NEED a bike!"

"Wait, I NEED a car!"

Patience Pays Off

"I NEED a kitty cat! MINE!"

Food is Good

Who sent me down this rabbit hole?

I'm the king of the world.

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

2011-07-15T15:48:00.000-05:00

Christian was so sad about saying good-bye to his Mamaw and Papaw this afternoon after spending the early part of today with them at the Children's Museum. It was CJ's first visit to the museum and as expected he had a blast. He was so tired and so sad that at first he refused to even give hugs and kisses. Thankfully he listened to advice, that they would have to leave regardless, and calmed down enough to give a little hug. When he was taken back to his room he just cried and cried, but what seemed like forever when your little guy is so sad was only 15 minutes until he fell fast asleep.

We all three are so grateful for not only today, but the past two evenings with Mamaw and Papaw as well. While they are headed back home for now, we hope that their house hunt was worthwhile, and that they will be returning very soon with boxes.

Ka-chow

2011-07-12T18:00:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday Appa finally got to share a full length movie with CJ. For those of you that don't know Frig is a HUGE movie guy so this was a very BIG deal to him. When CJ first developed a fasination with Cars we did try to show him the movie, but it was a no go from the start. No music, no dancing and that meant no attention span for watching. At least that is what Appa has determined to be the winning combonation that will keep Christian's attention. Dinosaur Train, Sid the Science Kid, Electric Company, Cat in the Hat all have these things while Thomas the Train and Cars do not.

Don't get me wrong give the little guy a Cars or Thomas the Train book and he is all over it. Hand him a cup with a character from one of these series, get out a puzzle, or better still the vehicle to play with and he can tell you who it is, but he was not interested in watching either on the TV. Maybe he didn't want to waste his precious little TV time, but I believe his father had it all figured out with the music/dancing combo.

Well much to Frig's pleasure something changed this Saturday night. After dinner and bath we decided to all climb in the big bed and do a little reading. Well mom decided to climb in the bed to read and the other three members of the family, yes I am including the dog, decided to join me. CJ even brought along a book - Cars. This got me to thinking, seeing as really did want to get some reading done, that we could once again see if the movie would maintain his attention for any length of time. Given that he has aquired so much language since our last attempt I was hoping for a little more engagement

From the moment Lightning McQueen appeared on the screen he was hooked and his Appa was in heaven. I wish I been able to record CJ's utterance of amazement at hearing the character utter "Ka-chow" for the first time as opposed to his father, mother or friends at school. It was eye opening to him. He was so wrapped up in the story it was as if we hadn't read the book to him a hundred times or more. Appa and I were both overjoyed to get to have the experience of watching the movie with him - his joy and excitement became our joy and excitement.

Lot's of Playtime

2011-07-08T20:49:00.000-05:00

Mamaw and Papaw gave CJ this hat during his birthday weekend. It quickly became a a favorite.

Excuse the expression, but I'm just trying to keep up with my cousin Owen when it comes to laundry basket play time.

Meet the "Lord of the Hats" - This is for you Uncle Rich!

Daddy teaches CJ the fine art of imaginative play.


"No fair Mommy!!!!!"

Third "Car" Party

2011-06-30T09:10:00.000-05:00

Christian's birthday party was a breakfast at his favorite neighborhood park - the SPARK. I was the one with park idea, but my mom was the inspired creative mind that came up with the idea of breakfast. This was after I told her that I thought June in the park would be too hot for most people.

I prepared many of CJ's favorite foods and flavors: bacon, banana-nut-chip muffins, strawberries (just "berries" to him), orange-strawberry fluff, and chocolate-peanut butter Krispies. His father was 100% in charge of the "toupe" (aka cantaloupe) and as usual they were perfect. We also had mango and orange juice. There were other items, coffee for one, that were not of real interest to the little guy. Yes, there was a birthday cake as well. I made one that CJ's Pop could eat, wheat and gluten free, and decided on dye free as well to cut down on any hyperactivity possibilities. It was a white cake with "cream cheese" icing.

The SPARK is actually two play areas in the mist of many pine trees and separated by a large pavilion. We set up all of the tables, chairs, and food under the pavilion and were very grateful for the swift breeze that blew for the majority of the morning. We brought two of CJ vehicles with us and he spent a good deal of time riding his trike around all of the party goers. I am very proud that when one of the other children did manage to get a hold of the trike he shared nicely.

Christian had many, many, many friends and family attend his celebration and everyone was more than generous. CJ was overwhelmed with the trains, cars (of varying sizes and purposes), and dinosaurs too. Appa Frig helped CJ decide which toys need to make their way to a local mission for homeless mothers and children in order to make room for all of his new belongings. This is the only way that all of the new play things will fit in his room if he wishes to be able to walk around.

Here are a few pictures of the event:

CJ with the grandfathers

"The Loot"

Loving' some water

Bubbles with Appa and friends

Friends and Family

Pops, Grandma, Cousins Casey and Sarah, & Aunt Ann

Papaw, Parr, & Giselle

Elena, Ramiro, and son Tyler

Birthday morning - a few small gifts from Omma and Appa

Planes, Trains and No AutoMobiles

2011-06-20T16:06:00.000-05:00

Christian and I took our first domestic plane rides together this weekend when we went took advantage of my three day weekend to visit his aunt and my sister Robin. He was very excited to get to she "Aunt RaRa" since he hadn't had the pleasure of her company since Christmas time. In fact, when I was packing early last week, and we told CJ why I was packing, he proceeded to put away his toys and get ready to go right then and there. That was when his father pulled out the USA puzzle and explained how far away she was and that it would require a plane trip.

Christian was very well behaved on both flights that took us to Ohio. Despite the fact that we were traveling well past his bed time he spent most of his time quietly occupying himself with the few cars we had brought with us. Thankfully the man next to us on the second, very late flight, was a grandfather that obviously enjoys children. He was loads of helping keeping CJ happy. By the time we loaded all of our belongings and ourselves into the car it was past 11 PM and CJ was asleep in about 11 minutes.

Aunt Robin had done an excellent job of preparing for our visit. She had borrowed a box full of trains and various vehiles for CJ and us to use. From another of her friends, the lady that was kind enough to take us to and from the airport, she borrowed a two-wheeler with training wheels for him to ride. This was his first experience on a two-wheeler and he took to it very fast. I suppose he may need his own for his birthday!

Aunt Robin had also planned a play date for one of the evenings that we were in town. Christian started off the party by sharing his Chex mix with the other two boys. He then became the pied-piper of food and led his new friends out into the backyard to eat hot dogs and play bubbles.

We spent lots of time riding the bike, playing at the park, and even discovered the wonders of the children's area of the library. Now we need to investigate our own library and see if it is as wonderful. CJ did miss having a car, and was very thankful for ours when we finally found it in the parking garage late last night. I enjoyed the closeness of a small community and using travel between locations as a means of exercise.

If you are noticing a distinct lack of photos in this post it is due to my poor packing and Robin's poor luck. I believe letting younger CJ play with her brand new camera in Korea may have dramatically shorten his its life span. We were able to borrow a camera on our last day together and I hope to have some of those pictures to post very soon.

"Christian's"

2011-06-06T20:48:00.000-05:00

Until last weekend Christian had never said his name in my presence. When people (those we meet in public, friends, or family) would ask him his name he would just stare at them blindly. It was more than obvious that he knew his name, but saying it was a whole other story.

That all changed last weekend. Out of the blue he goes from saying "mine" to "That's Christian's." or from "My spoon." to "Christian's spoon." Maybe he was waiting until he felt more confident in his pronunciation, but I think the "Shishian" is super cute.

Last Monday I mentioned to Ms Kesa, his main teacher, how he started saying his name. Her reply was "Oh yes, we have been working on that." The following day he thanked me for something and Ms. Kesa told me how she likes that he always says thank you. My reply: "That is something we have been working on!" It felt good to know that our efforts were paying off outside of our presence.

Speaking of all things Christian's. I would like to thank my former student Matt H. for the books he donated. While he has only had the Thomas the Train easy reader for a few days it has quickly become a new favorite. Tonight when he couldn't find it on the shelf he quickly said "Where's Christian's book?" as if the others belong to someone else.

First Family Zoo Day

2011-05-30T13:44:00.000-05:00

This morning Frig and I brainstormed some different ideas for how we should spend Memorial Day and we settled on taking CJ to the zoo. Some of you may recall that I did take him to the zoo one time before, early on, and that it didn't go very well. Today was the complete opposite.

First, I learned a lot from watching the more experienced zoo goers on our last trip. We came prepared with water for all, hats, lots of snacks, sunscreen on, and the wagon instead of the stroller. Christian pulled the wagon "My turn!" he would tell us, more than he rode, which made his father and I VERY happy.

Second, CJ did amazing with his potty training. He even managed to go number two after his snack. This really helped with any potential stress levels.

Third, he was so much more into the animals. Knowing what they were called and wanting to get closer looks at different birds, the chimps, the grizzly bear, and the "horses" (large antelope and zebras).

Fourth, his Daddy was with us. Everything always goes so much smoother when Appa is able to come with us.

Early on - still a little unsure.

Starting to take closer looks.

No time to stop - eating on the go!

Can you see the bear?

Daddy too!

African drumming

Checking out the Chimps.

Being checked out by the Chimps.

Mommy, CJ and the cool Giraffe

"And Daddy too" - CJ wasn't happy until he took a photo with Daddy.

Gottcha Day

2011-05-30T13:26:00.000-05:00

September 20 will forever now be a date of vast importance in our household as it was the day Christian officially became Christian and our son forever. It was a day surrounded by much drama and sadly very little celebration. This was due to the fact that the mother of a girl in CJ's class chose to leave her sick daughter at school the previous Tuesday despite the fact that the child vomited on the way there.

By the time we were headed to Grandma and Pop's place on Thursday, Christian as showing similar symptoms. I had never seen so much vomit come out of such a little body or even out of a big body for that matter. More likely it is that I have never seen vomit covering a little body, filling up his car seat, and desperately tried to soak up the stuff with a toddler blanket as it came spewing out of a tiny mouth.

From that point, about 4:30 Thursday afternoon, until right before we returned home Sunday morning, it was evident through symptoms and attitude that the little guy was not feeling his normal self. I wish we had been able to have a more festive weekend filled with happier memories, but we did get to spend bonding time none the less. We were also very luck for our lawyer. She was extremely efficient and very child oriented.All four adults felt very forchunate.

First Mother's Day

2011-05-10T11:29:00.000-05:00

Dear Christian Jae-won-

I am so thankful that you made this Mother's Day a reality for me. I am so lucky to get to be your forever mom. I promise that while I may sometimes have to go away that I will always return home to you and your Daddy. We are so fortunate that God gave you to us to love, teach and cherish always.

Forever your mom

P.S. It is going to be very hard to top this year's gift of "poop in the potty", but I am sure you will try!

First Easter

2011-04-26T19:50:00.001-05:00

CJ had an amazing first Easter:

He loved his first Easter party thanks to an awesome coworker of mine.
He was enthralled with his first basket this morning - the fact that contents had magically increased over night made his eyes open wide.
He was shocked by how many extra people were in mass and handled the crowed pretty well.
He thoroughly enjoyed a going to the train with his Pops, Grandma, and Nanny without his parents. He even thanked then without prompting.
His post Easter day with Mamaw and Papaw was a blast. He loves all of his new dino and train toys.

Train Party

2011-04-17T14:40:00.000-05:00

CJ and I went to an awesome birthday party today. We'd really like to send thanks to D. and her parents for having us. It was a 3rd birthday party for one of the girls in his class. There was one other girl from school and about five boys that he knew. We also had the pleasure to meet one of D's friends and her two boys. She just happens to be an adult adoptee from KOREA! She got my information and I really hope she follows through with an email. I would be very willing to drive to Cy-Fair so CJ and her 2.5 year old could play together again. She is also supposed to pass on some information on heritage camps held in Carrollton for when CJ is a little older. This is really great news because all of the camps I knew about before today were several stated away.

Well my guess would be that from the video you know the other thing that made today's party such a blast. This really got me thinking about planning CJ's party that is coming quickly. I want it to be something fun, but not overwhelming.

Korean from Head to Fin

2011-04-10T19:01:00.000-05:00

Tonight's dinner was a real adventure for me. This was only the second time in my life I have cooked a whole fish. I have to say I don't even remember how the first one turned out which most likely means it wasn't worth remembering. I believe this is because I grew up in a house where I can only recall my mother cooking frozen fillets so that is what I feel comfortable cooking.

Today I wanted to take a bit of a risk and cook a recipe I have only Americanized to this point by using Tilapia fillets. It was scary and messier than my meals normally are, but well worth having to wipe all of the sesame oil off of the floor around the stove. The basic idea is to place a whole Flouder into a wok with several inches of very hot oil. After both sides have been fried through once a hot pepper-garlic-sesame paste is slathered on each side in turn. The fish defiantly tasted Korean and we felt very adventurous. CJ even said a rare toddler "Yes" when I asked if the food tasted like in Korea. I doubt he really knew what I was asking, but I appreciated the affirmation anyway.

Next time I will add some tradition Korean sides to the mix instead of doing a lame Asian veggie stir-fry. We are taking some culinary baby steps.

Rejection Never Felt So Good!

2011-04-07T18:28:00.000-05:00

I am sitting on the couch watching the news and getting in a little computer time. What has afforded a tired Omma this brief respite you might ask. Well it happens to have been the rejection of her son and I am thankful!

Most evenings I do get a short break after I clean CJ while his Appa plays with him a bit, but this evening Christian specifically requested his father for bath time. I think it was very kind of the little man since I did take the two small ones for their after school walk/ bike ride, make the after school smoothies, jello for lunches tomorrow, dinner for tonight and eat with him all in a matter of two hours. I need a chance to kick my feet up a bit.

Since I brought up the post school exercise I guess I should explain it in a bit more detail. This weekend Appa and I tested out a little theory of mine and were pleasantly pleased to find out I was right. If we take CJ's bike with us across the street to the trails then he will peddle the entire trail and nobody has to carry him. If we don't take the bike his "walk" quickly turns into more of a "carry" which negates the point of trying to wear him out. So the bike was a hit and once again Mamaw and Papaw deserve a round of thanks this time it's for getting a bike with a push stick. There are parts of the trail with gravel for drainage and CJ needs a "Push please!" to get over those rougher patches.

Sending consents 04/06/11

2011-04-06T15:47:00.000-05:00

This was the subject of an email I received from our international agency earlier today. While I had my suspensions of what these documents meant I did email to confirm and was told:

The documents are for your court appearance to finalize your little one. If you have an attorney they will need a copy.

I paused in composing an email to our attorney to write this brief, but very joyful, post!

A Spoonful

2011-04-06T15:35:00.000-05:00

CJ is very excited to have fully transitioned to full sized spoons and forks. He has been able to accommodate adult sized spoonfuls for several months, and even able to use light weight restaurant utensils with easy, but our heavier-weight home cutlery had been an real obstacle. He has finally built up enough strength to be able to lift even a large spoon to his mouth and easy empty the entire contents in one bite full. Yesterday evening his father forgot about the transition and gave him a toddler fork. CJ was quick to correct him!

Recently he has been imulating both of us in another manner when eating. Appa and I frequently ask him if he is finished eating so now he is doing the same of us. Asking "Our you done?" several times during the course of a meal. Also, Appa is apt to prod Christian to eat the less desirable vegetables before he is ready. CJ likes to leave the worst for last where Appa and I do just the opposite. CJ's has now started to tell his father "You eat!" when he does this. As in "leave me alone and focus on your own plate". I appreciate the help as I never feel like his Appa is getting enough nutrition.

We are still slow and go with the potty training. I am trying to be patient and not push it as he doesn't yet have all those intergral signs of being ready that all the books seem to talk about. Oh well, at least he is polite and says "Thank You!" after I change his poopy diaper.

We recently purchased a new car and this is only adding to CJ's car obsession. The first day to school in the new car he said "Bye-bye" to the old car as we pulled out of the drive way and then accurately pointed out two cars of the same make and model as it while we were driving. He loves the new car because it is smaller and he can now reach the door (I finally found out why child locks were invented) and he gets a better view out the window as well.

We are looking forward to the end of the month. CJ and I put up a few decorations for Easter this past weekend and he is now very much enjoying playing with the few small items. Thankfully his Montessori training is paying off and he returns them to their place after each time. CJ will have a four day weekend, but Appa and I will not. We are all super lucky that Christian's Mamaw and Pawpa will be able to spend the day with him the Monday after Easter!

Little Parrot

2011-03-21T13:44:00.000-05:00

I am happy to announce that Christian is really begining to repeat after me when I read to him. He had been doing this for awhile with books that had a common theme of words, such as body parts or colors, but not with other books. This weekend he started to parrot when I was reading one of his longer nursery rhyme collections. He would be very quiet at the start of the rhyme, but would then catch-up to me at the end. Lats night, we were reading the Hungry Caterpillar and for the first time he wanted to show off his skills. CJ and Omma were both very proud when he repeated "cocoon" and "butterfly". It seems we both considered these to be rather elevated in difficulty.

His vocabulary is increasing dramatically outside of reading as well. While it was nice to have such a quite angel when out in public it is equally nice to know that he does not have any problems with his hearing (as one horrible International Adoption Pediatrician alluded a few months back). His words are coming so quickly it is hard to keep track of all that he can say. For instance, yesterday he specified that he would prefer "pancakes" for breakfast when given two choices. I also heard "train" for the first time later in the day.

Doctor Doctor Give Me the News

2011-03-15T20:23:00.000-05:00

Christian was once again put to the test with multiple doctor visits in a row. He was a bit rowdier than before, but still well behaved and cooperative. His Omma was happy to have the complements of more than one doctors' office employee over the past two days.

On yesterday he went to his 6 month cardio check-up. We had to meet with a different doctor as the one from October took Sprig Break to be with his kids. She was very nice and impressed with how well he has "thrived" over the past months. His weight gain of 5 pounds and other signs of health made her decide that the Echo wasn't needed after all. This made for one happy mama. I had talked to CJ about how pictures would be taken again, but was glad when my preparations were not needed. The doctor did want to make sure I knew that his current excellent status did not mean surgery was never going to be needed. I did appreciate her keeping me grounded.

CJ and I were so lucky that Appa was able to join us yesterday. We had to navigate a large building with lots of supplies and his help was very much appreciated. It was so much easier than before when we had to go alone because Appa was working.

Today CJ and I went for his pediatrician well check-up. This was the first time for us to meet his non-adoption pediatrician (who happens to be located in the same office as mine was when I was a child). CJ is 50% for weight (30.5 lbs) and height. (2 ft 11.75 in) and everything looked healthy. We were very impressed with the efficiency and professionalism of the staff. I was glad we arrived early because they called us back right on time. I had yet to finish the paperwork that was requested. All of the people that helped us were very child centered and CJ felt very comfortable. He did need to get one shot, but other than that the visit was easy. We go back in July for his 3 year visit.

Water Water Every Where

2011-03-13T16:23:00.001-05:00

Pondering the Pond

Christian seems to have a bit of an obsession with water. Which is why my school field trip this past week to the cities Japanese Garden made me decide that we needed to take our own family field trip.It was while I was pulling weeds with my students along the banks of the pond and watching the koi swim by that I realized my son would have loved to be with us.

Fascinated by the GIANT Duck

Men with Duck

It was decided that today would be the day for our adventure; so this morning before mass Appa packed a snack bag while I fed CJ a light breakfast. After mass we all went out to eat for real and then headed to the park. From the first sighting of water Christian out of my arms and in heaven. He was fascinated by the ducks, koi and turtles. He enjoyed walking on the stone pathways, and climbing up and down the bridge railings.


Water Lover


Nestled with Omma

Come to Mama


Here Fishy, Fishy

Giant Koi


"What's that?"

After an hour in the Japanese garden it was time for a snack.We started on a seat across from an even larger pond than is inside the Japanese garden.

Feed ME!

Then we walked a bit and climbed atop a large hill. CJ climbed up and down. Getting bites of seaweed from me while at the top. Appa and I lost a few months off our lives watching his uneven balance each time he made his way down again.

"Kiss Me" My Mom's Part Irish

2011-03-13T13:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Christian and I went to our cities St. Patrick's festival. CJ's godfather Tommy was participating in the parade and his godmom Jen-Jen was there with her sister's family. We had a lot of fun getting to see the huge Budweiser horses, motorcycles, unique cars, and music. In fact when we were walking up, before the parade had started, Christian actually said "a horse" a few times and pointed at them. It took a second for me to register what he was saying, but as soon as it did I turned back so he could get a closer look.

CJ was fascinated by all of the green and seemed to really enjoy the entertainment while he had lunch - the parade started at noon so I brought food for the sidelines. We both got a lot of exercise. Due to where I parked we ended up walking around the entire outside of the baseball stadium. By the time we got on the freeway afterwords CJ was out like a light. I was glad I had turned down the offer for a late lunch with the rest of the adults.

I wish I had though to take my camera, but it hadn't even crossed my mind. I'm hoping that I will be able to get a few from Jen-Jen's sister - they were better planners than I.

What I Learn From Books

2011-03-08T12:35:00.000-06:00

It is not uncommon for CJ to demonstrate new skill acquisition to me while I read a favorite book. The first time this occurred one night at bedtime. He picked out I Don't Have Your Eyes by Carrie Kitze.

He had gone through a long phase of asking for this book regularly, but hadn't requested it in awhile. When I got to the first page, and read the line "I don't have your eyes" he responded by saying "eyes" and pointing to his own. As I progressed through the book he did the same with each body part.Before that night I had no idea that he could identify so many body parts and say their names. He had been holding out on me because it wasn't as if I didn't regularly identify body part during his nightly bath.

That brings me to this weekend. CJ was passing out books from his Tomas the Train four book set, and I was given the one dealing with colors. He snuggled down next to me and I began "Blue". He repeated after me, but this wasn't surprising as his that was one of his first words. However, when I turned the page he again parroted the color. "Red" he repeated after me. This pattern continued with green, yellow, orange and white. Normally when Appa or I make any mention of color he acts like he has no idea what we are talking about. We have even discussed the possibility of him being color blind; turns out that isn't as issue after all.

Back to Baking

2011-02-21T19:18:00.000-06:00

Thanks to CJ I have a renewed interest in baking. I had always enjoyed baking; starting as a very young child with my paternal grandfather. I'm not talking fancy baking. No cakes worthy of a picture frame. Just simple baked goods made from scratch.

However, as a married women my opportunities to hone my baking skills were few until my son's arrival. You see, his Appa doesn't really care for sweets.While I wouldn't complain about eating a cake or loaf of quick bread all by myself it just never seemed worth the effort. Now that my eating machine has joined us, I have taken to baking for the two of us. Appa joins us in the rare slice, but mostly the little guy and I do all of the heaving lifting.

Speaking of how this little guy eats. My mother refers to the way in which many of my family members eat, including myself, as having a particular type of appetite. She calls it a "My Maiden Name" Appetite. It means you eat big and you get seriously grumpy if not fed in a timely manner. I decided this weekend that CJ was sent one of these type of appetites all the way to Korea. I hope this isn't the only thing he and I have in common. It isn't my strong suit that's for sure.

Dino

2011-02-20T12:43:00.000-06:00

It all started with Appa's deep desire to share some of his favorite PBS cartoons with CJ. Netflix lent a hand when a few weeks back they started free streaming Dinosaur Train. They had shared this particular show before, but it hadn't made the impact that Frig was longing for. Well those times have changed for sure.

Now CJ is in deep infatuation with all things dino. Thankfully both his Mamaw and his Grandma had already made meal time purchases that feed the dinosaur fetish. Specifically Mamaw bought a "Christian" place-mat and Grandma a bowl and spoon with are of this most important theme before he was even home with us.

Pointing out that his daily vitamins and two of his t-shirts fuel the newest obsession brought smiles and giggles. Then I remembered two small dino stuffed animals. They had made their way to the middle of the basket full of so many neglected stuffed toys. He recognized their features immediately and took to the three of them having a very animated conversation. This was one evening close to bedtime, so they didn't get attention for too long. The next morning, after CJ was dressed for school, he had to return to his little dino's to give them both kisses goodbye. Too Cute!

The Boss

2011-02-04T14:13:00.000-06:00

For those of you that don't know, basically those that have never met him, Frig is a huge Boss fan. About two weeks ago he started trying to teach his son how important The Boss is by showing him videos on the computer. I didn't know how much of a impact those session had had until today.

I was taking advantage of the "Icy Road Day" to do some deep cleaning in the kitchen and had started up the CD player. We hadn't used the CD player since Christian first came home because we hadn't been able to keep him from playing with it and the tuner so early in our meeting. I felt certain a few stern "no touch"es would do the trick, which they did, so I started it up today. Well CJ was sitting on the couch reading the famed From Head to Toe when the CD changed to The Boss. Frig called me to come look - CJ was bouncing up and down to the music. His Appa couldn't be more proud - success!

This was a few days ago. Christian had led his Appa towards the office affirming, when asked, that he wanted to watch more music. It was a good thing CJ saw me trying to be sneaky because they had stopped the performance I was trying to catch until they knew they were being watched.

104.9

2011-02-04T13:46:00.001-06:00

That is the temperature reading that sent this new mom into a tail spin late Wednesday morning. Christian had been feeling badly since Monday night. He had been very whinny after school and then the real clue to illness was that he let Appa feed him almost his whole dinner. CJ got started on his own, but made such little progress that Frig took over after he was finished with his own meal. Normally the little guy wants to feed himself right up to the very end when it gets difficult to get the last bits, but not that night. After he finished eating I picked him up from his chair to take him to the bath and could immediately tell that he was hotter than normal. It was if the fever had kicked in while he was eating.

Tuesday morning he woke us up 45 min earlier than usual and it was obvious he couldn't go to school. I took an underarm temperature and it was around 102 F. I put in for a substitute, but wanted the kids to get the most out of there day so we all three headed up to school super early so I could prepare. I setup the little man in my comfy chair and took a hard plastic one for myself. He just laid there watching me and eventually even feel asleep.

Once we got home I opened up my trusty What to Expect the Toddler Years to find out all about fevers. The verdict was that 102 wasn't really hot enough to start totally freaking out just yet. I put him in more breathable clothes, got him to drink a whole bunch of water, and used a Thomas the Train video to "trick" CJ into a morning couch nap. He was super lethargic the rest of the day, as to be expected, and when I took his temp before his bath it had risen to a level that made me prepare my mind for a doctor visit the next day.

Wednesday morning was a repeat of Tuesday including the lower temp. I decided maybe the doctor wasn't needed after all when I once again went with a morning couch nap for the two of us. The difference was when he woke at 11 he was ON FIRE! I really didn't need to take his temp to know something was wrong it was more like I needed to know how wrong it was. I immediately called the doctor I had picked to be his pediatrician. To my HORROR I found out I needed to have taken steps to make him a patient prior to the first visit. The lady on the other end of the phone told me my options and they sounded bleak: previous pediatrician (lady with horrible bedside manner I swore I would never have to deal with again all the way on the 11th floor of the big hospital), ER (huge fine from insurance if not admitted), or urgent care clinic (where do I find one of those).

I got online to use the doc find and discovered all urgent care facilities covered by my insurance are FAR from where I live. Then I saw the option of "walk-in clinic". There was one close by but they are manned by nurse practitioners and I wasn't sure if that would cut it. I used the nurse line to get some advice, and after a sometimes tear filled conversation, I loaded myself and CJ into the car.

We got super lucky that there was no line when we got to the clinic. The nurse looked at his throat and immediately declared the flu. She told my "little pumpkin" that he really knows how to run a high fever and scare his mommy. I bet she could see the fright on my face. Well CJ got hooked up with the super flu prescription, meds for congestion, and suggested vitamins. The nurse even helped me find what we need on the shelf. It was a good experience, and I am sure it took a whole lot less time and money than a doctor would have.

CJ is now full into recovery. He had much of his energy back today, and yesterday he had started being a teaser again. Although I do have to say that it has been nice to do some deeper attaching while he has wanted to be babied these past few days and nights (except for the not sleeping at night part!). Next week I will take steps to get Christian set up to see the pediatrician the next time he gets sick or needs a regular check-up which ever comes first.

CJ's Newest Things

2011-01-30T13:47:00.000-06:00

Christian is working hard at learning the English language. In the past few days we have heard a lot out of him The list includes:

thank you
please
more food please - a nice little sentence
bless you
orange - both for the color and the fruit
banana
Amen (for those who missed it)

We seem to be breaking down the language barrier slowly but steadily. We can't wait for this phase to be over.

He and his Appa have also been working hard on learning parts of the body. This is thanks in part to two favorite books - From Head to Toe by Erick Carle and The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. Both of these books were given to us by a student and have stayed in the living room toy basket since Appa brought them home. I know CJ has an iffinity for them because his Appa makes them so very fun when he reads. He uses different voices for all of the animals in From Head to Toe and makes their animal sounds when Christian does the correct move. For instance, when the crocodile comes wiggling his hips Appa does an impression of The King (aka Elvis). During The Kissing Hand CJ gets into the caressing of ears and kissing of hands that they exchange.

Christian has also been working on going backwards - having mastered jumping up and down and off of steps. Now he regularly turns around to walk backwards in the hallway or while on the trail with Blue. He is also peddling his tricycle backwards when playing in the driveway.

Potty Training

2011-01-27T19:21:00.000-06:00

Well we have been working on this for a few weeks now and taking b-a-b-y steps for sure. At school he has been doing very well, but I had only been able to get him to pee and only really right before his bath. Honestly I think he had figured out that using the potty before his bath kept him from accidentally peeing in the bathtub which was the reason it was so easy to get him to use it at that time.

I really had my heart set on using one of those over the toilet seats, but after finding out that he has been going poop on the potty at school for sometime, and having a bit of a battle over just that last night, I finally relented that I just wasn't going to have my way. The larger "scarier?" toilet must be the difference. So today after school we went on an adventure, and in true What to Expect the Toddler Years fashion, we let CJ pick out his very own potty. I mean we put them all out in the isle and let him sit on them to give a test drive. It was obvious which one he preferred.

Well folks this evening we had a double success and he got to place his first "EXCELLENT" sticker on his very own potty. I know this is just one of many b-a-b-y steps, but maybe over Spring break we will all be ready to take the big leap......

Potpourri

2011-01-17T11:32:00.000-06:00

I guess this is what happens when Omma gets a little behind. I wanted to share a few pictures that got lost in the shuffle.

CJ and Aunt Robin

Loving his new car.

CJ and Uncle Ryan

Releasing Cabin Fever

Making Tuna Salad

Baptism

2011-01-17T11:19:00.000-06:00

Today Christian Jae-won received the sacrament of Baptism; therefore, becoming a member of our Church. It was a very long day for all three of us, but so worth every minute. Appa had already stayed up way past his bedtime straightening up around the house only to continue once breakfast was over and Omma went to the store. By the time I returned from hunting and gathering Appa was completely worn out and in desperate need of a nap - thankfully I came armed with a latte and ready to tackle the world.

While I prepared for our post sacramental gathering CJ spent most of the morning playing in his room - at my request. He did help make the family clam dip, and much enjoyed licking the spatula, before I returned him to his domain. I told myself there was no reason to feel guilty as he would be the center of attention for many hours later in the day.

Christian was blessed to have four grandmothers, two grandfathers, two uncles, and two aunts in attendance this afternoon. All adults were in agreement that Father Phil did an amazing job with the ceremony and were very impressed with our parish priest. We three already know how lucky we are. I'll pat my own back that CJ handled the water and oils well. I had spent a good deal of time trying to prepare him for the events of the day so he wouldn't freak out.

Most of the family was able to come over to the house after the ceremony. CJ enjoyed being the entertainment and getting to eat to his hearts content. As usual all parties were very impressed with how well behaved our little man is.

Not too long after godmother and godfather left, Appa and I helped my parents out by taking one of my grandmothers home. This also gave a chance for Mamaw and Papaw (Appa's parents) to babysit their grandson for awhile. It was a true win-win. Appa and I enjoyed a Blizzard from Dairy Queen, an item we've missed having since bring home our lactose intolerant bundle, on the way home.

The after party

Getting into the Loot - Mamaw lends a hand

Before the big event - handing with Pops

Great Aunt Susan and Great Uncle George

Pass the Kiddo

CJ always appreciates Father Phil's attention - Anointing with Oil

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

We ended the day with take-out Chinese and football. As the game came to an end Mamaw and Papaw said good-byes and I took little man to bed. After such a busy day, without his usual nap, he was more than ready. After reading two books, and three pages of his toddler bible, we move on to his nightly prayers and a new word....as I finished the first prayer with an "Amen" he repeated after me. His was more of an "anen" but the meaning was obvious. I gave him a huge hug and said it again - he repeated. I bet I don't have to tell you that I read a few more prayers than normal this evening, and yes he said amen each time.

Vocab Increase

2011-01-02T19:49:00.001-06:00

It seems like CJ's vocabulary is increasing fast and furious. He gets the cutest little "you caught me face" whenever I realize that he has used a new word. It wish I was able to get it on video tape.

Today he used two new words. The first was a very clear "more" which he used during his afternoon snack. I had given him a glass of soy milk, something he doesn't get too often, and after finishing it off he held out the cup and spoke. I gave him a bit more for his efforts. It worked so well the first time, he quickly drained the glass, and tried again. I was a sucker for his efforts, but gave him just a bit. The next "more" from him was followed by a "no more" from me.

The second word was "walrus". This might seem an odd word for a two and a half year old to be using, but it makes perfect sense if your dad has a running bath time diatribe which includes a Beatles song and your plastic water animal bath toys. Apparently the penguin and CJ are both egg men while Appa and the walrus are both, well, walruses. When I asked CJ to show me the egg man he quickly found the penguin, but when asked to produce the walrus he decided to be silly and pick up the puffer fish instead. He thought it was super hilarious and let out a giggle when I told him I knew that was not the walrus. He did eventually find the walrus and when he lifted it out of the water is was accompanied by a very quiet, yet perfectly pronounce, "walrus". He said it a few more time, for my delight, but not nearly as well as the first.

Listen Close - He Speaks

2010-12-30T09:43:00.000-06:00

Part of hearing him would be that like always my parents were right, and part of it would also be all of the time we have been spending together these past two weeks. By my parents being right I mean that when they were in town at the start of December they told me he was speaking English, but Appa and I just weren't listening. I had a brief talk with CJ's teacher at the start of last week and she told me she was working with him on opening his mouth wider when he speaks. She, like my parents, mentioned how he is very quiet when he talks. I have also realized that he tends to only say part of the words.

On his list of most common words and phrases would be: hot, again, like this, this one, mine and no. Hot is missing the "h" sound and again is missing the "a". No sounds more like "nana" while mine is "ma". The last one is very confusing and forces us to listen super careful to hear when he is saying "ma" and when he is saying "omma" because the "o" tends to get lost.

Last night he said "pa" as he was reading/looking through his bible. I had just read a few pages and then past the book on to him while I started the ABCs book. He said "pa" a few more times so I figured he was trying to tell me something. I wasn't sure if he was saying "pa" or "ba" so I tried both and could tell from his expression that "pa" was the right sound.

I asked "What is pa?"
He let out a giggle.
I asked again, and he got frustrated.
I said "Do you mean Appa?" and he touched is forehead.
I asked "Do you love Appa?" and he finished the sign of the cross - three taps on his chest.
I said "Does 'pa' mean prayer?" and he giggled again, hid his eyes, and shook his head yes.
I said prayer a few times and he repeated after me each time with "pa".
I got out the prayer book his godparents gave him and we read a few prayers.

The lesson learned is to listen very carefully as you never know when God might be talking to you.

Christmas

2010-12-26T16:48:00.000-06:00

CJ had an amazing holiday - Appa and I have been trying very hard to keep him from getting too spoiled this Christmas.

Trimming the Tree


Cousins at Great-Grandma's

Christmas Eve with Grandma and Nannu

Aunt Robin and Grandpa

Mommy and CJ

Roadtrip

2010-12-15T19:38:00.000-06:00

This weekend the three of us will take our first road trip across our great state. I hope this doesn't ruin CJ for the car seat forever. As it stands he doesn't mind getting in the car. I don't know if that will still be the case after his 5 hour stint this coming Friday.

I have already done most of the packing because tomorrow is the school Christmas party and I am getting to attend. I believe I have everything we will need, but I am sure we will find that I have forgotten something. That being said I have already filled four bags.

Appa is working at a different campus from me on Friday and they get out a bit latter. As opposed to riding through rush hour we plan to come home for play time, dinner, and bath before getting in the car. This should mean that CJ falls asleep for most of the ride up. It will be the Saturday trip to Great-grandma's (2 hours each way) and the Sunday ride home (we are trying to take advantage of nap time) that will be the ultimate tests.

Please think of us this weekend as we test ourselves. This will not be for the faint of heart!

Godparents Save Dinner

2010-12-06T20:29:00.000-06:00

I went to yoga after school today for the first time in at least two months. Right about the time when we started to settle in I started working late two nights a week and felt it unfair to go to yoga any of the other nights. We had planned to have the same spaghetti from Friday and nobody that knew the plan was very excited about them.

Right before I left for the Y Godfather Tommy called with an invite for a Pho dinner at his house. How could we turn him down? It was hard for me to get into my class as visions of Vietnamese danced in my head. When I got home CJ had worn himself out and was ready to eat. I gave him a few sweet potatoes and he was very upset that was all. He was certainly worried that he wasn't going to get enough to eat. I told him several times that we were going out to eat in an attempt to calm him down.

When we first arrived for dinner Godfather was alone and busily working in the kitchen. I offered to help, but it took awhile for him to accept the offer. Godmom works later and it took her bit to show as she had to stop at the store for a few key ingredients: chicken, noodles and WINE!

While the dinner finished the two Appas looked on as Godmother played with CJ, They were so cute. She commented on how all of his shyness has washed away since the baptism classes on October. Something I had told her, but she had yet to see in person. It really is an amazing transformation.

Well the dinner was a big hit and Christian had his first brownies for dessert. By the end of the evening Jenn and Tommy were certainly among the little man's favorite people. We were sad we had to go so quickly, but it is a school night and we have to wake so very early. Speaking of sleeping and waking both of the guys are already passed out and I think it is time for me to join them.

Tree Trimming

2010-12-05T17:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Christian and I went out and bought what is my very first artificial Christmas tree.We are happily expecting Aunt Robin to visit us for a few days and she doesn't need any extra reason to have allergies when in town. I am pretty happy with the tree for several reason - the top two being less mess and it is a "slim" tree so it takes up less spaces than real tress we have purchased in the past.

This morning after I did a bit of rearranging of furniture, and cleaning which I could not control, I asked Christian to come and help me put the tree in its place. I wish Appa had been there with the camera to see his face. CJ was so surprised when I plugged in the tree and the lights came on, but Appa had been in the garage getting down the Christmas boxes.

Well it took a few tries to get the tee up correctly, and CJ wanted to be helpful so the two adults had to keep their patience about how much longer everything was taking, but we were finally ready to put on a few ornaments. Christian was very helpful as Omma carefully picked the decorations he should hang. However, his interest in the whole affair quickly faded. Appa and I decided that the bulk of the decorating should be completed at a later time, and some outside playing was in order.

While CJ played, Appa made lunch and I worked on getting a few outside lights up. I decided that this year was not a good year for battling with hanging lights on the eaves. It is always such a struggle to get them up and with our helpful toddler it would only be more so this year. Maybe the icicle lights will come out again when CJ is a little more independent, but for now a few on the bushes and the porch will have to do. Well once I had all of the lights up I realized I had a male end nearest me and the extension cord, but thankfully Appa saved the day with an easy fix to my dilemma.

After we ate Christian, Appa and I opened the Nativity set his Mamaw and Papaw gave to him. It had a lot of packaging and CJ was very helpful in throwing it all away when we are done. I have been trying to teach him about the baby Jesus using a book that was mine, but I know he doesn't yet understand what these new "toys" are all about.

After putting CJ down for a nap I headed out for my weekly tutoring gig, but when I returned I finished working on getting the house festive for the upcoming holiday. When he woke it was very cute to see his face when he first noticed the stockings I hung.

This morning I started some chili while the little man ate breakfast. Knowing we had a big day ahead of us I didn't want to have to think about dinner after decorating all day. Appa and I have been sneaking tastes out of the crock pot all day, and are just about to get bowls full for a meal. Appa and son have just returned from turning on the outside lights for the first time. I was told that I did a very good job - CJ was enthralled.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T15:13:00.001-06:00

Rockin' with Pops

CJ really enjoyed this all American holiday (or I should say all North American so as not to leave out our very Northern neighbors that celebrated the same event a few weeks back). He started his celebrating on Wednesday when there was a Thangsgiving feast at his school. Appa was sure I had made way to many sweet potatoes, but the dish came back empty. Ms. Kesa it was a huge hit and pointed at one boy in particular that "couldn't get enough."

That evening we met my parents, brother, and Nanny (mom's mom) for dinner. Not only was Christian entertainment for our table, but the whole restaurant was impressed. One patron shared that she wished her son would eat as well. You could see the looks of amazement on the faces of those around us as CJ ate his chips with habanero salsa. The waitress made a point to tell me that he was "bonito".

Uncle Ryan Up

Driving with Halmoni

On Thanksgiving Day Christian was, of course, the center of attention. He practice driving with Halmoni - until he started getting the key into the ignition successfully. He went for a walk with Pops and Blue dog. He played cars with Mamaw and Papaw. Uncle Ryan practice picking him up - over and over high above his head. Omma let him lick his first ever family clam dip off of the spatula. He played baseball with Halmoni and Appa.


Kisses and Hugs for Mamaw

We did have the meal at our house. Appa was so helpful. I sure couldn't have done it with out him. He peeled all of the potatoes, sweet and baking, cut the baking potatoes, and chopped all the veggies for the stuffing. He also sauted the veggies and helped me stuff the bird.

Much later in the evening Appa, Omma, CJ, Pops, and Halmoni all headed to the other side of town to visit with some of Pop's side of the family. Aunt Ann, not surprisingly, had a few fun noisy table top toy. I'm sure CJ will be looking for it again come Christmas time so I hope it is still around. Unlce John let CJ play with the dogs and hold the leash. Uncle George and Mama both kindly lent their keys for playing. I finally brought my men home when Appa started to fall asleep on the couch. It had been a very long day for the three of us.

Breaking from Playing - Family Clam Dip - YUM!

All Things Loved

2010-11-25T20:31:00.000-06:00

Christian has many favorites. I do believe this is common of children his age - the fixating. The things he fixates on are also not all unique or for all I know none of them are unique. The car keys, for example, are an item cherished by little ones far and wide.

He also adores the phone. If a real phone isn't available for use then his hand will make do in a pinch. He likes to talk on the phone while riding in the car, towards the end of a meal, or while a book is being read to him. As you see not all times when he chooses to start talking on the "phone" would be consider polite.

His favorite toys seem to be the puzzles and the Legos. These are the first things he plays with in his room every single time. I feel pretty confident saying they are his favorites. He has gotten much better at the puzzles since he has started school. Both puzzles have nine pieces which are identical in shape and size, but painted with different designs. Prior to school he struggled with getting the pieces in their groves, and had pretty much no desire to make the patterns match. Now it is not only easier for him to get the pieces into a spot, but more likely than not it is the correct spot.

Most of all I do believe he loves school. He cries a little on mornings when he is told that there isn't school that day. I am so glad we found a place where he wants enjoys going. I hope he continues to feel this way about school wants he starts having to complete homework.

Sweet Surprise

2010-11-20T21:04:00.000-06:00

We had a rough patch the past two weeks. Between Frig and I we managed to total a car and wash a phone in the laundry. The garbage disposal also went out, but thankfully my father was able to give me fix-it instructions over the phone that got it working again.

Today I was very impatiently waiting for the new phone to arrive, and when it finally did there was a surprise package we were not expecting by its side. The package was from our international adoption agency and the contents are priceless. Apparently Christian's foster mom had taken him for a professional photo shoot before he left Korea. She sent us a very nice leather frame with one photo of just him and one of the two of them together. There was also a necklaces donated by a volunteer organization. The pendant is a Korean flag and the back is engraved with CJ's name in Korean and his birth date.

This package was such a sweet surprise. The three of us are so lucky CJ has such a wonderful Foster Mom. We wish she wasn't half way around the world.

Say It Aint So

2010-11-15T18:53:00.000-06:00

Christian has been congested since his first day of school. It has been impacting everyone's sleep. It has turned me into a nose wiping machine.

I was complaining to a fellow new mom, whose baby started school a few months ahead of CJ, and her reply was not a positive one at all. Am I really to expect that he will never be well again? Will I forever have to rub methylated gel upon him prior to bed? Will the mucus sucking bulb become my new best friend (and his as well now that he has figured out it really isn't a torture device)?

Getting Too Comfortable Perhaps

2010-11-15T18:45:00.000-06:00

There are times when Appa and I long for the days that Christian was still getting to know and feel comfortable with us. The days when he ate whatever we put in front of him, and would never utter a single sound in front of a stranger. Oh those were the good days. Well sometimes that is how we feel anyways. Those times when he is throwing a tantrum because he wants to feed himself the very messy soup and we would really rather him let us help him. The times when I take him to buy new shoes, because his super cute Korean ones are wearing out, and he screams bloody murder because he doesn't wants his shoes off in a store.

Then there are the times when we relish in the progress he has made. For instance, the bitter sweet knowledge that he is starting to speak English at school. Yes, his teacher gave up his "secret" on Thursday. Christian is starting to use English. Apparently he told another child "No Allan, NO!" When she took a book away from him. It seems like there were other instances, but that was the first one to come to Ms. Kesa. She said "He knows how to use no very well." We can not wait for when he chooses to start trying out his English language skills at home.

Earlier this week he also learned to jump. Christian and I were at the park and I thought he was trying to poop because he was crouched down so low, but then I figured out he was trying to jump. The first few times he seemed to put so much effort into it, but both feet didn't make it off the ground at the same time. However, he did eventually he find success. He is getting pretty good with the jumping, but still starting from a very low crouching position.

More Grandparents

2010-11-08T19:08:00.000-06:00

This past weekend my parents came to town. We celebrated Pops' birthday on Friday night. It was Christian's first fine dinning experience. He was, of course, very well behaved. The restaurant had one of those chairs that attaches to the table. Christian appreciated being so high up and in the middle of everything.

While we waited for our appetizers he feasted on fresh bread. I believe he thought that was all there was going to be. As soon as he was finished with the bread he asked to get out of the seat. I went ahead and let him join me on a trip to powder my nose and a short walk outside.

CJ was very excited to find out that the bread was just the beginning. He very much enjoyed his own food, a mixed seafood appetizer, as well as my Cornish hen and his Appa's Red Snapper. Other than the food he thought drinking out of the adult water glass was very special as well.

The festivities continued the following day when we met up with Pops and Halmoni at one of our favorite local breakfast spots. Our regular waitress, Leslie, was super excited to get to see Christian in person. We had eggs with hash browns and gyro meat all around. Afterward we all went to play at the park. Christian met a new girl, K., while there. She happens to live on our street, one block down, and has just turned three. Her father was very nice. He asked for our email address and sent us an invitation to her birthday party. I have already replied positively. This is already his second birthday party invitation!

Pop s had to take off for an appointment with his hairdresser and we invited the folks to come back for mass and dinner. Sadly they already had plans, but we understood. Plus, we really do like our weekly foray to Sweet Tomatoes and Pops wouldn't be able to go there with us.

Our final celebration started at the park on Sunday morning. CJ got super excited when my parents car pulled into the parking lot and Pops got out. After a fair amount of sliding, and Pops trying to teach Christian to go down head first, we went for Mexican food. It was sad to see Halmoni and Pops head back to their new home. We can't wait to see them again at Thanksgiving.

Plays Well With Others

2010-11-01T19:21:00.000-05:00

The first day of Montessori school was today. The hour between waking and leaving the house was a whirlwind of activity on my part as I navigated around the two sleepy headed men in the house. I was exhausted by the time the three of got into the car and pulled out the driveway.

We arrived at his school at 7 AM on the dot, and watched as the lights inside were turned on. Ms. Kesa unlocked the front gate, and let her first student into the building. She was very understanding of us being first time parents and wrote down her direct line offering that we could call as many times as we felt the need. Christian was very confused as I handed him off to his cuddly teacher - not at all sure of what was happening. Appa and Omma said goodbyes and "I love you"s and headed out the door. The silent Christian watching with a befuddled look upon his face.

I was taken aback by the fact that he didn't let out a whimper. Even as we walked to the car it was silent inside the school house. All of the literature I have read regarding attachment and bonding was whispering to me that this was a bad sign. Alas, the first time either Frig or I could call, without it being during class, was when he had lunch. That means I had to wait HOURS to know how my baby was fairing. The post lunch update was a good one. Apparently once Christian figured out that his parents weren't coming back any time soon he did his fair share of crying, but he also didn't let it keep him from joining in the rest of the day either.

Frig did not have to teach the last period of the day today so he went a little early to pick Christian up from school. That way he could get the full update without it putting us at home super late. The news was incredible. We, Ms. Kesa included, are all just hoping that this wasn't a fluke. Although he has been super happy all evening. I do believe my little man really enjoyed his day at school.

End of the day update (in brief):

Plays well with others
.Joined in the routine like a champ
Must be easy to feed - you bettcha!

Mamaw and Papaw Come to Town

2010-10-31T18:05:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we were very lucky to have Frig's parents come into town. They got to our house a little after breakfast and stayed until after lunch when nap time started. We spent time at one of the parks we frequent and ate Christian's first Mexican food meal at a restaurant. He loved the never ending chips as he is used to Frig rationing them at home.

I would like to say that it was nice for someone else to be taking the pics for a change - Thanks Mamaw!

About to leave for the park.

Just the three of us.

Me and my little man

Two happy ladies and a squirmy worm

With Papaw


"I'm not too sure about that."

Always so good at sharing.

Week Seven

2010-10-31T12:53:00.000-05:00

This past week I started back to work and Frig stayed home with Christian. We both thought this would play an important part in his attachment with his Appa. I believe it was also rather eye opening for Frig in so far as how hard it really is to be a stay at home parent.

It was also nice because Frig was able to meet Dexter, Christian's friend at the park, and exchange contact information. Now that Christian will be at school during the day he will no longer have unplanned meetings with Dexter at the park We hope that there will be a planned play date in the near future. Frig hopes the play date involves Dexter's Filipino mother making some of her native delicacies.

Chillin' wth Blue

Showin' off my new haircut.

Showing love for the park

Home Again, Home Again

2010-10-25T19:33:00.000-05:00

Today was my first day back at work. It can best be defined by shock and confusion. Christian was obviously very confused as I pulled out of the garage this morning. Frig says he cried for less than 30 seconds. When I returned he looked equally confused and didn't seem nearly as happy as when Frig would come home. I guess I should be celebrating that I am no longer the only one CJ wants.

On the other hand I went through shock. It was very hard to get into the swing of things and much of it was just going through the motions. I think I did a pretty good job of playing the part though and definitely reminded the students who's boss. There are a few small kinks I need to take care of, but all and all Frig did an amazing job playing my part the last six weeks.

Korean Festival

2010-10-23T14:39:00.000-05:00

It was nice to be able to get pics with all three of us.

Yes, he is chewing on his carrier.

Omma and Godmom

Food - worthy of getting out of the carrier!

Why won't she let me do it?

Very cool dancing.

Students from my father's university.

What once was Godmother's then becomes Godson's.

Park - the only other reason to get off Omma's back.

Making his LONG way back to the slide.


Hydrating after park play.

Frig said CJ and I were the topic of many photos today as we walked around the festival and watched the performers. Some of the highlights not pictured here are that I may have a line of FREE Korean lessons and we got Christian's name written in Hangul (Korean alphabet). We were so lucky to have Christian's godparents join us on this special outing.

Prayerful & Pearful Snack

2010-10-22T16:08:00.000-05:00

This afternoon I gave Christian canned pears in juice for his snack. I gave him one pear half to start because the last time I gave him pears he had turned them down. Well today he was in a pear mood and that half didn't last long past his prayer. He immediately asked for more, by handing me the bowl and not the fork. I obliged by giving him a second half. He clasped his hands for another prayer, and another, and another. He must have prayed 10 times before he got started on that second pear half. By the end he was even praying along (ie babbling as I said the prayer). He did the same thing for his third half. I wish Frig had been here so we could have gotten the whole thing on tape, but I knew if I got up to get the camera the magic would be lost.

Ophthalmologist

2010-10-22T12:40:00.001-05:00

Today the little man experienced his first predawn wake up. He took it amazingly well, and I believe he enjoyed being able to say good-bye to his Appa when he left for work. This was good practice for next week when Omma is going to be the one leaving. We plan on him waking up before I leave so he won't be freaked out that I am not at home by waking after I've left. This will also be a nice transition to waking even earlier the following week when all three of us are going to school.

His appointment today went very well - in and out in just over an hour. He received yet another compliment from a medical worker, I am not sure if she was a nurse or a technician of some sort, for being such a well behaved little man. He had his eyes dilated so we did have to wait for the drops to take effect. The doctor could not find any signs of his eyes being out of alignment, and asked that we come back in six months. However, if nobody sees his eyes crossed between now and then we might forgo the appointment. The doctor said his eyes were perfect from what he could tell and the follow up seemed more for Omma's benefit than anything else.

Cardiologist

2010-10-21T14:21:00.000-05:00

Today Christian and I went on an adventure to Cy-Fair to see the very nice cardiologist. I believe the little guy was a little sad when he realized we were not going to the park after all which is what we normally do after I feed him his 10ish meal. However, he was able to entertain himself with all of the goodies in the bowling bag I use for such occasions. He figured out real fast that I store lots of treats in the bag, and even on Monday at the pediatrician started helping himself to it's contents.

We arrived at the appointment about 25 min early, spoke to reception and took a seat. I gave him some cards to play with and started to fill out the form. It wasn't 10 minutes into it and we were already being called to the back. I was shocked by the efficiency.

The first woman who helped us had me change Christian into a gown, weighed him (26ish pounds), took his height (33ish inches), and did his blood pressure from all four limbs. On Monday CJ hadn't responded too well to the blood pressure monitor, reached at it with his other hand and fussed a bit, but today he didn't even touch the cuff. I have always loved the blood pressure cuff myself so I didn't understand his aversion. Next she did an EKG. For this test she placed 13 VERY sticky "stickers" on his torso and attached a wire to each one. Almost as soon as she got the last wire clipped on the test printed and she was done. I couldn't believe how fast it was.

Next the cardiologist came and spoke to me. He asked what I already knew and commented on the fact that since he was an adoption I probably knew a whole lot. (This means he actually read Christian's file. How amazing!) So I told him what I knew and then he told me more details complete with a diagram that was very geometric and made a whole bunch on sense to me.

So the gist of what is wrong: there is a hole (or maybe two small holes) in the septum (tissue) that separates the left and right ventricles (lower portions) of CJ's heart. Because there is always a difference in pressure between the left and right side of the heart, and liquid will flow to the area of least resistance, some of his clean blood passes through this hole. The clean blood is then sent to the lungs. This means the lungs are having to accommodate more blood than they really should. It also means the heart is having to do some extra work. Finally, the hole(s) is very close to one of his valves. This may create a problem as the flow through the hole may start to pull the valve as well.

The doctor then said he would like to try and get some pictures of the heart, ultrasound, if we thought Christian would behave. We both agreed CJ seemed most willing to cooperate. During this whole time Christian has been eating a granola bar, and when the doctor leaves us he finishes so I take out a banana. When the banana is done we play with some bubbles. This is when he makes his only sounds of the whole 2.25 hour visit - a few shrieks of glee at the bubbles Omma creates.He gets bored with the bubbles, and goes back to the bag for more food. I direct him to the pretzel goldfish.

It wasn't too much longer and the next technician came to get us for the Echocardiogram (ultrasound). For this test he had to lay on a table, three more stickers with wires were placed on his torso, and by the end LOTS of gel all over his chest and tummy. He laid there for over 15 minutes, I was timing it with the VCR the tech had playing Elmo, and didn't make a peek. In fact the technician said she had NEVER had a two year-old be so still and that included her own two-year old. My son gets the "Best Echo Patient" ever award!!!!

At this point I got to dress the boy and after reading just one book the cardiologist was back to tell us his final prognosis. It is his opinion, I am happy to say, that at this time there is no reason for surgery. He included sound medical reasons such as he is thriving and the hole(s) very well still could heal on it own, but also adoption reason such as since it isn't paramount to correct the hole(s) at this time having CJ go through surgery would not help with his transition and attachment. Did I tell you I liked this doctor yet!?!?!? It is the doctors opinion that Christian should be allowed to experience the holidays and we will go back in 6 months for a follow up.

I am so excited by our whole experience - even the drive 20 plus miles was well worth it. The environment was so much more pleasant and all of the workers were so much calmer and kinder. There wasn't craziness in the elevator to deal with and I didn't have to pay for parking. I know I paid for gas, but trust me it was less. I wasn't able to make the next appointment, it's too far in advance, but if I have anything to do with I will be driving back north come 6 months from now.

Pediatrician

2010-10-19T20:52:00.000-05:00

Christian and I went back to the pediatrician yesterday. I did better than the first time about timing which kept the parking garage fee from being as high. The first time we got there almost an hour early and it hadn't occurred to me how I would be paying for all of that time in parking fees.

Because I wasn't sure how long the appointment would take I took the little man for a very special treat before the doctor. He and I went to Whole Foods and shared a non-dairy frozen treat. It was super yummy, and only the second time we have given him anything like it. He was so happy.

As far as the doctors visit I have finally decided that I don't really care for her. The first two times I wasn't sure, but now I know it to be true. He has a follow-up shot for Hep due it March and I will not be taking him back to that doctor to have it done.

As far as results, all of his shots from Korea took so he doesn't have to redo any of them and all of the big tests (ie HIV, Hep, etc) were negative. He did have some bad stuff in his poop so that test is being redone. I guess it wasn't the vaccines they gave him that led to the diarrhea after all. I took the sample in today in fact, and we hope to have the results by the end of next week or it may effect day care. Also, the heart xray did show that his heart is enlarged.

Stay tuned for cardio and ophthalmology.

Playing

2010-10-16T15:01:00.000-05:00

Playing with my dog!

Playing with Blue and a ball.

Doing the squat! "Blue please share the toys with me."

What?

Ball Love

Patient Appa

One of these days.

Playing toss with Appa

Practicing the newly learned "high-five" skills - Omma didn't want to have to keep explaining how he didn't know that one yet.

Taking a ride.

"Thanks for making the park so much fun Appa!"

Christian loves playing outside. Sadly, I don't think the outside cares for him nearly as much. I say this because he gets hurt almost every time we take him to the park. Sometimes the hurts are small, but other times they are not. Twice this week his evening park time turned into evening get hurt in the face time. Consequently there won't be any pics for awhile. Poor little guy. I promise we are not abusing him!

Week Without Plans & Food Coloring

2010-10-13T13:50:00.000-05:00

I intentionally did not plan any events for this week as next week is going to be a bear. We will spend three of the five days at various doctors appointment. I am not looking forward to it. He fortunately is happily oblivious to what awaits.

We have been using our time to learning more about playing with toys and helping Omma complete chores. I am not sure which one he likes better. One of his favorite things to do, besides keeping doors closed and buckles buckled, is helping hang up his shirts. How long does this phase last again? Like all good things I know it will come to and end.

Yesterday evening Appa took Christian to the store to get a last minute item to complete dinner. While there the workers asked if they could give our son a LOLLIPOP and Appa consented. Well he didn't even have it for every long, but boy did it make an impact. By the time we made it to the park, after dinner and about an hour later, he was crazed. It was if someone had given our child drugs. He was running around screaming happily as a loon. One of the moms, that has met him three other times and never heard his voice, commented. CJ was happy mind you, but I think Appa learned his lesson. Appa doesn't want Omma or his son anywhere near food coloring if he wants us to act like sane individuals.

Can't Believe My Eyes

2010-10-08T07:57:00.000-05:00

Later on we encountered a strange dog while I was holding the leash. Blue went crazy pulling and barking like mad lady. Christian walk over to me and put his hand out to help. I kept holding the leash myself, but I also placed it in his hand. I then told Blue several times in succession that "Christian has the leash." At that point she sat down, and while she still continues to bark it wasn't as loud and she certainly was no longer pulling! I wish there had been a fly on the wall to film that part as all those who know Blue are going to find it very hard to believe.

Male Bonding Take 2

2010-10-03T19:32:00.002-05:00

I am currently watching our son as he plays at putting on my jean jacket while his Appa snores on the couch. This will be the first time that either of us has fallen asleep while Jae-won was still up. The little man wore the old man out for good this time you see.

There was much progress made this weekend. Jae-won called his father "Appa" for the first time, and is now giving kisses to both parents. They also made friends with the Father and two boys ages 2 and 4.5 that live two doors down.

Week Three in Film

2010-10-02T20:21:00.015-05:00

A boy and his dog.

A little pre-mass activity for the little guy.

I bet your thinking he is going to want to swing for the first time aren't you?

Well he had us both fooled then. Yet another set of buckles to be mastered. These require the most help from Omma as they are very tight.

Playing with ancient toys at Nanny's house.

Male Bonding Take 1

2010-10-02T16:30:00.002-05:00

The boys and the little lady (that would be Miss Blue) spent several hours alone today. I am told that CJ cried for Omma for a good 45 min after I left, and periodically while I was away. Frig had to manage two meals, and the nap. Apparently Miss Blue actually helped with the nap as opposed to hinder like she does when I am the one facilitating. I guess she knew her dad needed the help.

All and all things seemed have to gone swimmingly. Jae-won did get a little scrap on his knee when they went to the park, but nothing that even needed a band-aid. It took only 45 min to get him to sleep and he was down for 1.5 hours. Not shabby at all for a first try.

They were just waking up when I arrived back from having a few hours to myself. I had used the time to go to a Yoga class, purchase CJ a CD, eat a luscious cheese laden Italian lunch, and take care of grading. I appreciated the affirmations of how hard "it" is, and how Frig "doesn't know how I do it every day" upon my return.

Tomorrow they will try it all over again, but starting a little later in the day. I have tutoring gig very close by that is well worth the money. I'll leave while Frig is feeding lunch and return a bit after 5 PM.

Now it is off for our second try at Mass. I'm holding our breath that it goes as well as last Saturday. Like last week we will finish off the evening with a Sweet Tomatoes feats.

Medical Update

2010-09-30T13:27:00.003-05:00

Jae-won and I went back to the Children's Hospital today. He had to have more blood drawn, get his chest xrays done, and have his TB test analyzed. I still needed one more feces sample so I started on the top floor, with the TB test, and worked my way down. I was hoping the poop machine would do his thing before we left, but he was not cooperative. His TB test was negative. The nurse was so cute, I told her why I was there and she responded to bring my son in and she would take a look. You should have seen the surprise on her face when I pointed out he was on my back quiet as a mouse.

Next stop was imagining. He did very well with the xray. He cried a little, but didn't fight me and the technician to badly. She verified the quality before we left and we were good to go after the first try. We ran into a former student Jennifer and her mom. They live just a few blocks away, and I tutored the girl a few summers. Frig and I hope Jennifer, a certified babysitter, will be able to watch Jae-won for us in a few months.

I am a bit perturbed because they did not break up the blood tests anywhere close to even. On Monday they took only three vials while today they needed EIGHT. The little man was so sad, and it took so long. Good thing Omma listened to the tech on Monday and had been giving him lots of grape juice so his blood flow was strong.

I am supposed to hear back from Cardiology by Thursday of next week to set up an appointment with them. I will attempt to call Ophthalmology tomorrow. I imagine both of my men would be very happy if these appointments were completed before Omma goes back to work.

In other Christian Jae-won news:

1) He has learned the wonders that a light switch holds.

2) He is at least trying to spit after teeth brushing. Maybe because he realized Omma wasn't giving him any toothpaste.

3) He put on his own shirt for the first time yesterday.

4) We had our first hotdog, Hebrew Nationals, for lunch today. They went over very well.

5) He loves tacos with hot sauce. We have had fish from El Rey and homemade Turkey.

6) His fasctination with buckles continues. His newest addition being the buckle on the bike helmet.

7) Monday's visit with Nanny, his great-grandma, was a hit. They played ball and peak-a-boo. We look forward to lunch with Mama, another great-grandma, and his Great Aunt Susan tomorrow.

8) Tonight we will be going downtown with his Godparents to listen to some live music outside at the park.

Shots and Mongolia Spots

2010-09-27T20:17:00.003-05:00

Today our little man spent 3 hours at Texas Children's Hospital being poked and prodded. To start the pediatrician asked a bunch of questions about development, and had him show her how he could draw. She tried to get him to speak, even gave him a phone, but mum was the word. She answered all of my questions: lactose intolerance and calcium, caring for an uncircumcised penis, teeth grinding, and making sure we aren't over feeding. She also did a once over checked his heart and such. She was so good she got down on his level and never once asked him to come out of my arms and get on the table.

After we were done with the doctor a nurse came in and he received three shots - 2 in one leg and 1 in the other. He also had a TB test. He had to get on the table to have these complete. Finally we went down to get his blood drawn. The moment he was placed on the table he started to scream. He learned fast that what happens on the table is never pleasant.

He really was a champ. I brought lots of yummy snacks and they did their job keeping him occupied. We do have to go back on Thursday for more blood work, TB test needs to be checked, and he will have a chest Xray as well. I believe will need to load the bag with even better food this time.

Also, we learned that what we thought was a bruise on his tale bone is actually a Mongolian Spot. I have heard of these, but never noticed a reference in his paperwork to him having one. This was a relief, especially to Frig, as he has been super worried that the "bruise" didn't seem to be healing.

This Is Dedicated

2010-09-26T13:41:00.006-05:00

I am dedicating these few pictures to Things 1 and 2 and their super special Mommy. Christian Jae-won, his Appa and I are all very lucky to have such wonderful friends in our lives. I had NO idea when I open the Oriental Trading Company box (no the irony was not lost on anyone) so many months ago how big a part all of its contents would become in our lives.

Overalls are a blessing for Omma as she doesn't have to continuously pull my pants up!

Walks would be incomplete without his fisherman hat.

How could the "I hate being hot" guy get any sleep without his onsies?

This is the best bib EVER! And this 12 year old sleepier is AMAZING!

Grandparent Visits & Mass

2010-09-26T07:16:00.003-05:00

This weekend we are giving each set of grandparents a one hour "sightseeing tour" of their grandson. Since Frig and I am working very hard on bonding and attachment we are asking that they do not touch or perform any other care taking while here.

We are currently one down and one left to go. Yesterday went well. Of course he was shy and played opossum as far as being sleepy was concerned, but finally started to show his true monkey man colors towards the end. I hope today goes as well.

Yesterday evening we took the little guy to mass for the first time. When we picked a pew second from the back we could tell the two single men in close proximity were not too pleased. We think our little man had them apologizing for thinking ill of him by the end.

I did realize not to long into it that if he was able to stay quiet for the first seven hours of a fourteen hour plane ride that he mostly likely could do one hour of quiet in a Church. He did start fidgeting during the Homily. I remember that was always the hardest part for me as a child as well. Also, there was a family of four that came in a little later than us and took the seats directly in front of ours and their four-ish daughter started coloring on one of the envelopes. Well that got Jae-won thinking and he decided it was time to look through the books. We are lucky he knows how to treat books with care.

One Week Home

2010-09-23T08:17:00.002-05:00

Today is the one week anniversary of the little man coming home. He is sleeping through the night, and fighting me for naps. I keep trying to tell him that his Uncle thoroughly prepared me for any level of tantrum he wants to throw. I will just love him and hold him and come hell or high water he will take a nap.

The rest of his tantrums are super short. I think more out of frustration at not being able to communicate with me the way that he could with his FM. I can't wait for him to say his first English word. We figure "more", "shoe", and "Blue" are all in the running.

I though I would include a few tips (at only 9 days in) for others thinking about adopting a toddler:

1) If you aren't in shape get in shape! I weight lift via yoga, but you better be doing something or you are going to HURT! I am feeling this.

2) His FM was able to show him my picture for just 2 months and he recognized when I walked in the door. He has called me Omma since those first few hours together. Now try telling an 8 month old "this is going to me your forever Mom".

3) My mom keeps saying "I just love that age" and now I understand. He is helpful, playful, observant, and loving.

4) I can tell that Korean food gives him comfort so I would keep that in mind. If your child is coming from a different culture incorporate his or her food into what your family eats.

5) Amazingly the experts are right - he does seem to be regressing a bit. Especially when it comes to naps. I wish I could go back in time and ask the FM how she got him to take his naps back when he didn't go to sleep on his own.

6) If your kiddo knows a different language learn as much of it as you can. The few key phrases I know have been invaluable. CJ already knows when I am asking if he is hungry or thirsty because I used both languages every single time for the first week we were together.

If there is anything I haven't touched on, that you are curious about, please ask away. I will tell you about our experience to date.

Baby Carrier

2010-09-19T21:10:00.002-05:00

I belong to a message board for parents adopting from Korea. Time and again the topic of baby carriers comes up. I have to say I am super thankful it came up as often as it did or I most likely wouldn't have invested in one.

The first time I asked Jae-won ("Chey-won") to get into the carrier he was confused. I think because it is a different type from what he was used to. The second time my sister helped and gave him a traditional Korean cookie once he was in. The third time he didn't need any help, but sure liked the cookie. It has been smooth sailing ever since. Don't get me wrong, a stroller would have been great when we were waiting in the customs line at DFW, but the carrier has so many high points it is a MUST have.

When we went to the grocery store he helped me carrier the bananas. We can dance together. It puts him right to sleep for a nap or bed time. I can clean, and he helps by grabbing for the broom (so cute). He was trained for a carrier, and I am so glad I am taking advantage of this.

Our First Weekend

2010-09-19T16:23:00.007-05:00

I would like to start this post off by asking why does everyone say "sleep when he sleeps" when they should really be saying "drinks lots of caffeine"?

It is easy to get him to go to sleep at night, bath, jammies, teeth brushing and he is out. During the day is a whole other story.

Both Friday and Saturday nights we took him to the park after dinner, when it was cooling down, to give him a little exercise before bedtime. He is our little monkey man, and so fearless. Up and down the slide.

We had a rough start today as he went to sleep at 8 he was up at 6, but not really up. I should have let him hang out quietly in bed as long as he was willing, but I wasn't that smart. We went to Big Lots and thankfully they still had the umbrella strollers I'd been eying. The walk with him and Blue really mad strides in developing their relationship.

Here are some pics from Friday and Saturday.

Mundane

2010-09-17T17:51:00.007-05:00

I think not! What could possibly be mundane about a 26 month old living the high life in a super fancy suite with two women at his beck and call.

Video of our first evenings events.

I tried to get the video on the screen, which I did once before, but didn't have luck with this evening. The little man is waking up so this will have to do for now.

Honeymoons Are Amazing

2010-09-17T15:52:00.002-05:00

The past few days have been nothing less than amazing. I have the most amazing son. When I walked into the meeting room on Tuesday September 14 at 13:30 he recognized me right away. I would be lying if I said he looked super happy to see me, but that is to be expected. He knew my arrival would mean the end of his 12 months with Foster Mom, stopped playing with his toys, and he ran back towards her. It was the saddest thing you have ever seen - watching the two of them say good-bye to eat other. His FM talked a lot; it was great that she was so sharing. Our son is so lucky to have had such an amazing FM this past year.

I kept a handwritten journal during our trip, at least until I had a toddler to keep me busy, so the little man will have a detailed record. After he was in the picture we have all of the video and well pictures to document. Maybe in the next few weeks I will find the time to come back and tell you the day to day stuff. For now I figure what everyone really wants to know about is the star.

He is a quiet and shy introvert. When he does speak it can barely be heard. He is constantly watching his surroundings which makes it next to impossible to pull one over on him. No hiding that ______ (fill in the blank) he saw exactly where you put it.

FM says he loves to climb and I didn't find out how true that was until the plane. I thought he liked to climb in the ballroom and we got some pretty good pics to document it all. I didn't know she meant he would like to climb on my arms, shoulders, neck, face, and head.

Our son gulps water like a pro and likes being a big boy with a cup or water bottle. He also enjoys barley tea or rice milk, but water will do and lots of it.

He is super lovey and likes to cling both when he is awake and asleep. Likes getting kisses and has even given me one of my own.

He has the cutest little squeal when he thinks something is funny. His favorite thing to say is "Moya" which mean "what is this". He says it whenever something happens he didn't expect or when he finds a new "toy" or food item.

He is an eater. Muscles, fish, noodles, all fruit, broccoli, beef, potato, corndog, chips, you name it he wants it. In fact it would be easier to list the things he hasn't seemed to like - ketchup and overcooked tomato. FM says she had to limit his food and it took awhile to figure out what she meant. First, he will put bites of food into his mouth until his chubby little cheeks are full and not have taken one swallow. Then when he does start to chew his mouth is so full that the food kind of starts to come back out. Second, if anyone around him starts to eat, even if he just finished eating a bit ago, well of course he wants to eat too.

Pictures Anyone

2010-09-17T10:48:00.011-05:00

I'll post some words later - I know what you really came here for!

Practicing using a spoon with some barley tea - Yummy!

Taekwondo anyone? Aunt Robin showed me how it was done.

Who is that hansom little man in those pictures? Oh it's me!

Lovin' some rice dream.

Little man loves a big cup.

Super special "Do not open" top secret envelop. The star is in his backpack - look over my right shoulder.

Man am I hot! Thank goodness Foster Mom gave Omma a fan.

Another airport (DFW) and how exactly is this a picture op?

Home at last! Super tired and hot.

Getting to know Appa.

Foster Mom Letter

2010-09-10T14:13:00.002-05:00

I have been going back and forth on writing the Foster Mom a letter. Don't get me wrong, I believe she deserved one, I just didn't think anything I wrote could ever be good enough. This morning, on the way to school no less, I decided good enough or not I had to write one. This created two problems. First, would I be able to find any paper worthy of such a letter in my classroom. Second, would I be able to find Xena and would she be able to translate for me.

Paper problem) I knew I had some paper in my classroom from when I worked at a stationary and gift store during college. I couldn't really recall what it looked like and I wasn't exactly sure where I had it hidden. After much opening an closing of drawers and doors I found one card stock Thank you note and some half-sheet decorative paper. The card stock wouldn't do since I need two versions of the letter. I took the paper out of the bag and it was PERFECT. The background looks like a sky at dusk and at the top of the page is a globe, but not just any globe. The globe has been molded into the shape of a heart, the continents are golden, and the whole thing radiates with a rainbow edge.

Xena problem) That was actually pretty easy. I went out the front doors and asked the first eighth grader I saw if she knew were Xena would be in the morning. Thankfully she directed me to the correct location - the cafeteria. When I got to the cafeteria I quickly spotted her cohort, but was told she wouldn't arrive for at least 5 more minutes. I wrote a pass, but basically by the time I made it back to my room she was there. I got very emotional when asking her to write the letter, teared up, and asked her if I could have a hug. I don't know what I would have done without all of Xena's help this year and last. I now have two versions of the "Foster Mom" letter on my desk.

The letter is simple and short, but I hope it conveys to the Foster Mom how much in her debt Frig and I are for all of her love and care these past months.

First Diaper Purchase

2010-09-09T18:02:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Frig went to buy diapers. I really had my hopes up that Christian would take to the potty training, but the word back from Seoul is that he is still using 5 diapers a day. I hope Christian doesn't gain too much weight when he first arrives because we have a WHOLE bunch of diapers the same size. I think Frig must have a similar theory on buying diapers as he does on buying tampons. His says buying tampons tells the cashier and those in line that he has a woman at home. I think he over did it on the diapers so everyone in the whole store would be able to tell that he has a kid at home.

Speaking of diapers, I haven't changed one since I was in high school and worked as a Sunday School teacher for a 2-year-old class. I hope its like ridding a bicycle because that's as long as almost half my life.

I still need to pack the diapers, my clothes and a few first aid items. I hope I can find room. I had to ask sis to bring all of the toiletries and make-up once I found out diapers were needed. I am LOW on space.

Itinerary

2010-09-07T12:07:00.002-05:00

I got the final details on our itinerary today. To reiterate, sis and I will leave early Saturday morning and rendezvous in Dallas. Our international flight will leave DFW around noon on Saturday. We arrive in Seoul at 4:35 on SUNDAY. In the process of crossing the international date line we lose a day.

We will have Sunday evening all to ourselves. I was not able to get us the cheapest accommodations so I went with ones that have a good location. We will be close to downtown so it should be easy for us find things to do. On Monday morning we will have will have a city tour followed by more sister alone time.

On Tuesday morning we need to get ourselves to the adoption agencies office because we will pick Christan up at 1:30 PM!!!!!!!! The foster mom and a social worker will both be there and we get to talk about CJ. Then we go back to the hotel room and hope for the best.

We leave for the States at 11 AM Thursday and arrive at DFW at 9:45 AM - here is where we get back the day we lost earlier.

Long Weekend

2010-09-05T08:08:00.003-05:00

My parents had come into town on Thursday for a doctors appointment, and thankfully had decided to stay the night. We were very lucky that they were still in town on Friday and able to celebrate with Frig and I. We went to happy hour with awesome apps, Frig and I had both neglected to eat lunch, and had a late dinner where my brother joined in.

Yesterday morning all five of us went to breakfast at a local Greek-American location, and then we ran by Target to get a few last items for the bathroom. At that point my folks dropped us off and headed home. We will miss not seeing them for a few weeks, but we all know that it will be what is best for Christian.

In the afternoon Frig and I watched a POV episode about a Chinese adoptee. We had tried to watch Wo Ai Ni (I Love You) Mommy with my folks on Thursday evening but the TV would not cooperate to let us see PBS. There were parts of the episode that were hard to watch, but I believe it was good for us. I also believe it was a motivator. When we got home from mass we worked on our Korean language and we plan to work more on it today as well.

So far I have been unable to appreciate my last few nights of what is supposed to be uninterrupted sleep. I keep waking up with irrational fears and find it hard to fall back asleep. For instance, last night it was a worry that I had given the travel agent the wrong birth date for Christian. This is after having checked over all three birth dates at least a dozen times and even verifying that I had used the right one for my sister. I know when my sister birthday is, but I am just that paranoid I needed confirmation. When I typed in both of our passport numbers and expiration dates I can't tell you how many times I compared what was on the screen to what was on the paper in my hand. I wonder if a woman about to give birth suffers from the same sleep depriving anxiety - of course by a week before the due date I would imagine sleep would be hard for other reasons as well.

Travel Plans Made

2010-09-04T12:27:00.003-05:00

Sister and I will leave the US next Saturday. She and I will converge on Dallas' DFW airport in the morning and leave for Seoul right around noon. We will arrive in Seoul the following day, Sunday, as we will lose a day going there. Our return flights get us back to DFW for Thursday morning the 16th. At that point our paths will diverge again, but not before she gets to see us off (thank goodness).

We will have to wait for Tuesday (9/7) to know where we will be staying and exactly which day, Monday (9/13) or Tuesday (9/14), we will pick Christian up. We had a lot of constraints on us when making the flight arrangements due to Labor Day making communication difficult and there being a Korean Holiday on September 15 (Chuesok).

The Rest

2010-09-03T18:17:00.003-05:00

My study lab actually sat in their seats, doing their thing, for several minutes after the lunch bell rang. When I finally motioned that they could leave L.L. made a rather shocked comment to have realized that I was in class. The kids had been so quiet she had no idea. They actually weren't even talking as they left, but only the noise of books - papers - chairs.

Frig was at school today, but in the room farthest away from mine (three floors up and the diagonal corner) after the phone call I literally ran for it. I knew he was in his study lab so it wasn't like I was going to interrupt his class. I got to his door and held up the phone. He looked at me, looked at the phone, and ran across the room to give me a hug.

Got It

2010-09-03T14:49:00.002-05:00

My Friggy-diggy-do-da's luck paid off once more. I hope to travel the middle to end of next week. I am waiting for a return call from the travel agent. As soon as I know more I'll fill everyone in.

The call came in during my study hall. It was just a few minutes before the end of study hall, and the end of lunch, so I decided to check my phone. Not really thinking there would be a call, but as you know already there was. I listened to the message, just make sure it wasn't a false alarm, and was pretty sure from the tone that it wasn't. There were just 2 minutes left in class, but I couldn't wait, they were 2 minutes that would feel like an eternity for sure.

I called the international agency and asked to speak to L.L.. As soon as L.L. told me Christian was ready I started to tear up, my heart started to race and my head got all fuzzy......

to be continued.

Last Chance for Awhile

2010-09-03T06:39:00.002-05:00

Today will be the last chance for three whole days. I think we all know what I am talking about. It would be very luck of us to get the call after just 5 working days, and those that know Frig well know that luck is all his. I am not the lucky type. Granted I am also not the betting type so I have fewer chances of winning anything.

Starting today Frig will be Texas History for the next two week, or until I leave for Korea. He was already this same teacher twice this week. Once he was asked ahead of time, but the second day he was called at 10 AM because the sub that took the job was a no show. The district is using a new web based sign-up and there is an issue that our school can no longer be as selective with our substitute selection. Maybe this is what we need to invoke the call. Who knows maybe that is even what the secretary was thinking when she asked Frig to take it on. After all, she has been helping us with the paperwork since the homestudy.

Yesterday, Frig was at home during the day. He admitted that he spent some of the day watching the live feed on the blog. Watching the different people "hit" - there were 21 by the way. He was waiting for someone to comment, and was sad that no one ever did. I thought that was super cute. I don't think I write in such a way that invokes tons of comments, or at least it makes me feel better to think about it that way.

Pronunciation

2010-08-30T18:58:00.005-05:00

This summer break I worked diligently on learning many things Korean. As many of you know, school started back up last Monday and a group of 4 very cute and super excited Asian boys in my study hall were asking me all about Christian. They were happy to hear that we have purchased a rice cooker. They consider it to be of utmost importance.

One of the boys is Korean-American, this had been established earlier in his math class, so I asked if he spoke Korean which he does. I told them how I had been working on the language but was kind of embarrassed because, like with all non-English, I know I am struggling with pronunciation. I tried a phrase I know super well, prefaced with "Tell me if you can understand what I say" to which he said "No", kind of giggled, asked me what I was trying to say and then pronounced it correctly. This put me on a mission. If the 12 year old GT kid doesn't understand me how will the 2 year old?

Today he comes up to me during study lab:

him - "Mrs. R can I ask you a questions?"

me - "Chol lee nee" (are you sleepy)

him - "Um, no, hey wait I could understand you that time."

me - "Me an he" (I'm sorry)

him - looking even more confused - "Oh hey you just said you're sorry."

I showed him the MP3 player I have a recording of pronunciations on - he sure has a brilliant. smile.

Form Made It

2010-08-27T12:32:00.002-05:00

I am super excited to tell y'all that the family registry form has made its way to the Korean adoption agency. It was signed for at 2:54 PM on Friday August 27th. For all of you that are keeping track that was actually 12 hours ago as Seoul is already into early Saturday morning.

I hope, hope, hope that the social worker, or whomever was in charge of getting our papers to the Embassy, got them off so they are their for Monday. As a recap, I was told that the little man would be ready 5 to 8 business days after the paperwork makes its way to the Embassy.

Tracking

2010-08-26T05:57:00.002-05:00

The last document made it's way to Korea August 26 at 10:35 AM. It is now in transit. The FedEx website estimates delivery as August 27 at 6 PM. Sadly that would be after business hours on a Friday. Weekends are such a blessing and a curse.

A Call NOT "The Call"

2010-08-23T16:25:00.003-05:00

Today was the first day of school. At about 1 PM I could hear my phone vibrating and my heart started to pound. I quickly lost all focus and it took a few seconds for me to get back on track. Thankfully classes are short on the first day so it wasn't too long before I had a chance to look and see who had called. When I saw that it was the International agency my heart started to race once again. However, when I checked the voice mail it was quickly apparent that this was not "the call".

We had to, hold on to your seats, fill out even more paperwork. If we were considering our glass to be half empty we would be very frustrated. Frig had to rush up to school so we could get yet another document notarized, oddly only one copy this time, and then off to the post office for overnight delivery across country. It will take about two more weeks because the visa application will not be taken to the Embassy until this form arrives in Korea and then it is 5 to 8 business days from then for Christian to be ready.

However, we are trying to consider our glass to be half-full. The document we had to send was an acknowledgment that we understand Christian to have been entered onto his birth parents' family registry. In brief, this means should he one day want to search for his birth family he will have more information available to him than the average Korean adoptee. In addition, it appears that peak travel season ends with August and ticket prices drop by a significant amount. For the past few months families have been paying around 2K per round trip ticket. We might be lucky to pay just half that should we travel in September.

The Bedroom

2010-08-20T07:22:00.001-05:00

For one reason or another the blog and this video just do not seem to like each other. Originally I tried to make it a part of the previous post; however, it was met with error message after error message. I finally gave up. After trying a direct upload to a new post, also a failure, I decided to attempt a completely different approach all together.

CJ Zones

2010-08-19T09:56:00.007-05:00

I would like to make it very clear that Frig and I completely understand our whole house will be one great big Christian zone. We are under no false impressions. When we all returned from the hometown shower Robin placed Christian's 3-wheeler in the foyer and said "I guess we'll just get used to having his toys all over the place."

These pictures and video are intended to show the parts of the house which have been given extra care as we have been preparing these past few months.

Thanks to the advice from my friend Chris W., a three time mom with a toddler of her own, we went with a chair a booster from the start.

We picked this table for several reasons: it matches another kitchen item, it has the drop leaves we like so much, and it came complete with a place to store Christian's plates and cups.

Bathroom: I asked Frig do the video - enjoy!

Nam Gang

2010-08-15T15:02:00.003-05:00

Today Frig and I went with a few close friends to eat Korean BBQ in celebration of our best man's birthday. The experience was delightful! Lots of bulgogi, fresh squid, and tons of sides.

One of the greatest things about eating Korean BBQ out, besides not having to clean the pan, is the variety of sides that keep coming and coming and coming. We decided the very nice waitress determined we were more adventurous than she had essentially given us credit. When she brought out fresh sides, with our second round of bulgogi, they were made of less common ingredients such as the smallest dried anchovies with heads intact.

One of our companions is the most adorable 3 year old. After he was finished eating "Uncle" Frig took him for a walk. The rest of us sitting at the table took this time to acknowledge the fact that this was the moment Frig had been waiting for the whole meal. The two of them played on and off until the adults were finished eating.

Once Christian has started to attach Frig and I plan to take him to this restaurant. We hope he will feel very comfortable there. As the birthday boy said, if we take him there too soon he may want to go home with the women that work there. They sure were loving on the little one we had with us today.

The Bad & Class B Wavier

2010-08-12T16:00:00.003-05:00

Earlier I was musing on what makes the message board a good palace to go, but for sure it also has a bad point. I believe that Frig would tell you this one bad point out ways all of the good because he has to deal with me and my OBSESSIONS! Yes, the message board adds to my obsessiveness. As if I needed anything extra to make me neurotic about the whole process.

On a happy note, the FedEx tracking number paid off. The Class B waiver arrived at its destination at 10:34 on August 12. It look like waiting for "the call" is this last step in the pre-travel process.

So I finally started really looking at air fair and finding out, much to my horror, that there are no direct flights from my international airport to Seoul. I didn't want a layover. We always have layovers when I take students to Europe so I see how the moms and dads struggle with their little ones in the long lines.

The Good

2010-08-12T07:31:00.005-05:00

I belong to a message board for moms (mostly) and dads of Korean adoptees. Being a member of the board definetly has it's good points. Such as I can get answers to my questions from experienced parents. Often times I don't even have to be the one that asks the questions because someone else got to it first. I have a whole bookmarked folder titled "CJ tips". Some of the threads won't be needed for sometime, regarding his citizenship and getting him a Social Security card, it is nice to be prepared for what is to come. Other threads are more relevant to the present like what to pack for Korea, what to buy and where to shop. Because it is peak travel season there have been a lot of recent posts about plane ticket prices, so very scary, and all the usual hotels being completely booked. I really would rather stay in the less expensive guest house so I hope that works out for us. It cost about a quarter of the hotels many people are using.

The board also keeps me very grounded when it comes to what to expect when we first pick Christian up from the adoption agency. I have read a fair amount of adoption literature regarding grieving and attachment, but it is nothing like reading the first had accounts of the moms on the board. A few weeks ago one even mentioned how no amount of preparation through reading would have kept her heart from breaking as she watched her daughter grieve for her foster mom. Yes, there are little ones that seem to be extremely resilient, but it doesn't appear to be the norm.

For instance, one mom posted just recently "The meeting went great...then we got in the taxi and all hell broke loose! The high pitched, panicked shrieks of terror are something I will never forget as long as I live." It is not uncommon for the screaming to go on for days broken only while the baby sleeps extra long hours to cope with their grief. A mom of a young toddler that just came home is having trouble performing regular care taking tasks because her son tells her "umma" and takes off running. Meaning these are task his foster mom performs and he doesn't wish for his adoptive mom to do them yet.

Of course we will show Christian lots of love, but it is also going to take some calculated attachment behaviors to help all of us bond. I know that the message board, a few choice websites and the literature filing our house will all be helpful during the process.

Nesting is Hard Work

2010-08-10T09:58:00.004-05:00

Frig and I are both taking a little couch time break after putting in some labor this morning. We are working on washing all of CJ's new clothes, as well as a bunch of ours that was neglected when we had company two weeks ago, and more. I cleaned the grout on the floor of the bathroom Christian and I will both be using while Frig worked on the kitchen and securing the booster to the chair. We aren't sure the leg room is right, but at least Frig knows how to adjust it when the time comes. Frig had to call his mom to ask her a questions. The first thing out of her mouth- "Did you get THE CALL?" Everyone is waiting for the call. I'm so glad I still have preparations to finish.

The first thing I did when the web-browser opened was to check my email. I wanted to take a look at how our Class B waiver is progressing on its way to Seoul. It appears that the package left Oakland, CA at just before 2 AM. It is on time for an expected arrival in Seoul at 6 PM this Thursday.

There are a few other things that are happening while we wait, but Korea does not notify of progress on these steps. They include P3, submitting all paper work (I600, I864, birth/marriage/divorce certificates of adoptive parents, 1040, W2, legal document of child, vaccination certificate, visa physical examination, medical acceptance letter, photo of child and IR4) to the Embassy, and a Visa Interview at the Embassy. There is a chance that these steps are already complete since we waited so long for the VP and Korea had all required paperwork to submit P3 weeks ago. That is what we are hoping for anyways.

Better Late Than Never

2010-08-09T19:35:00.009-05:00

I know I said that I would have pictures of his room "Phase II" up some time last week and failed to follow through. Honestly the old camera was so slow is made taking pictures a real chore. I should have just followed through though because now I have all of the gifts from the Out of Town shower all over the place. Nevertheless, I thought I would give you a feel for how the room is coming along piles and all. Especially now that I have a new camera to use for taking the pictures. Thanks to cousin Brian's advice I can now enjoy taking pictures again.I don't know if you can tell, but Aunt Nancy embroidered his name in the ears!

The closet looks so empty, but never fear there are clothes in the dresser and all of the newest stuff is being washed.

The family in frogs.

Tomorrow I will be spending the day working on the bathroom, giving it what I expect will be its last deep cleaning for some time, as well as his room. I wish one of the grand-dads were in town so they could come by and put up shelves and such for us. At last count it is going to take all of the remaining 14 dry wall screws to get everything in place. It almost makes me wonder why I bothered to patch all of the holes. Maybe I could have used a few of them now.

Class B Waiver

2010-08-09T10:58:00.002-05:00

Last Friday I sent an email to the international agency asking how the Visa Physical had gone and if a waiver was going to be necessary. The waiver is a statement to the South Korean government confirming that Frig and I are aware of Christian's medical problems and willing to cover his medical treatment. The agency confirmed that we would need to complete the Class B and sent me the required documents.

Frig and I were able to get the four copies notarized and sent off to Oregon overnight for an expected arrival Saturday 8/7/2010. I have heard that at least one other family sent their Class B on Friday, overnight of course, and received their Travel Call the following Friday. I am getting very excited and very scared all at once. The emotions are unbelievable.

July Well Baby Check

2010-08-05T17:53:00.002-05:00

We still have no idea how the August 4 Visa Physical went, and I don't know that we ever will, but we did receive documents from a doctor's visit that took place on July 23. I have sent the documents on to our pediatrician with hopes that she will clarify some of the contents. One of the documents is the results from an Echo and the other is a "Cardiology note". The Echo results are pretty meaninglessness to me, but I do believe I am able to understand part of the note.

This would be a good time to use one of Frig's favorite sayings; do you want the good news or the bad news first? I'll start with the good news because that is what came first in the note. Apparently the VSD has gotten smaller. The bad news is it looks like the note recommends an operation will be needed. For some reason pressure has developed. I don't really understand why and due to the abbreviations used I do not know that it would be worth it to try a google search.

While Frig and I knew that corrective surgery was a very real possibility I never expected it would be a reality. I am being very cautious regarding Christian's grieving and attachment, but have been optimistic when it came to his prognosis. This is a bit of a blow to that optimism to say the least.