flying home from korea

bowling with the family

HAPPY EVERYTHING!

Christmas was successful this year.... finally we didn't have a sick kid! First time since Cameron has been home with us!  He opened his 1st gift and that's all he cared about.... so SANTA doesn't have to get but 1 gift and the kid would be thrilled!  He has thoroughly enjoyed mom and dad's Wii and can kick some serious boodie on it!  Especially bowling!  (and it's a great bribe tool).  

Mom got a new computer and hasn't hooked it up yet, so this one pic is all I have to share thus far.  (I'm on the laptop).  Once I get through Greycen's Tol party this weekend I'm hoping things will start settling down and I'll have some me-and-the-computer time : )

Hope everyone has a great holiday season, it's not over yet... and yes we are enjoying the 70 degree weather we are experiencing!

buys bees

we've been so busy lately, that I haven't been able to update with pics.

We've been home just over a month and are enjoying our family of 4... though stressful and so much more work!  C has had issues with his breathing and finally was "declared" asthmatic and uses an inhaler daily and is SOOOOO much better.  He just finished up soccer with cousin C and they had a blast watching more than playing : )

He's back in the roll of school and can't wait for Santa.  Everytime he does something good or nice he asks if Santa is watching.... hmmmmm.... I wonder if he was watching when C put 3 old-school fisher price record player records in the VCR/TV!  Yes, stuck in there... and we had to try not to laugh when we found them..... thank goodness the TV wasn't plugged in!

G is doing well.... totally enjoys life, and prefers to sleep with us.  We are slowly getting her in her crib... changing her milk formula to soy has helped her gassyness some... we get good sleep every other night!

Thanksgiving was great, lots of family and bowling!  I'll have to post pics as soon as I get a chance.  My computer is ancient and slow and santa must be backordered because I still haven't gotten a replacement from last "I O U" Christmas! 

C loves G to pieces, is nothing but gentle with her and compassionate and helpful.  He really is a sweet boy.  We are off to see Santa again tonight, and hopefully he'll smile for a picture this time.  Baby G was all smiles!  He told Santa he wanted candy and a jet..... I'm sure he can handle that : )  How easy is candy???  of course it's a specific hallmark candy!  He was all concerned that santa wouldn't be able to find it since it was on the bottom shelf!  I said we'd draw a map!

Hopefully I'll get to some pics this weekend!

Happy Shopping Everyone!

Halloween

How good did the kids do!!!!!!  After naps we carved the pumpkin that C REFUSED to put his hands in too.  So I surprised him with his name carved into it and he thought that was the coolest thing ever.  (I guess I scored points with that one). After a little fussing baby G let us put her costume on and enjoyed walking down the street. C was beside himself with trick-or-treating and couldn't wait.  He had to show me EVERYTHING he got.  After each house he'd pull it out of his bag and say, "Look momma, candy!"  Yes, maybe he is a bit deprived when it comes to candy  but after seeing what one piece did to him after dinner.....  I'm ready to trade it all in for carrot sticks!  He was nuts!

Everyone continues to do well, sleeping well and eating well!  Enjoy our cowboy and ladybug!

PICTURE LINK

Finally have the photos up.  There were too many to put here so this is the link:

gallery.me.com/shooting4stars#100104

FAMILY DAY x 2 = family of 4

Pictures link will be added tonight  : )

Today was a busy day!  October 24th!  We started our morning off by traveling ALL over seoul just to find someone to print a picture of us with G's fostermother so we could give it to her when we received her.  After going to Kim's Club and then being sent to "the outlets" we travelled to a kodak store near SWS that proved to be where we should of started our day out anyways.  We got our photo printed in 5 minutes and went back to the hotel to get dressed and ready.

Our 2:00 appointment began with meeting C's fostermom.  She was SOOOO excited to see him and just wanted to sweep him off to the other room but as sweet as C can be... he was as stubborn as could be!  We've never seem him so 'un-bendable'.  We couldn't even bribe him with M & Ms and that usually does the trick.  He whined and cried and stomped and pouted and was just mean.  We felt so bad for the foster mom because our 20 minutes with her was turning out to be a nightmare.  I just wanted to cry for her and for how obnoxiously bad C was being.  We have great pics of him pouting and crying though!  

She loved the book we made for her of the 3 years that C has been with us.  She got him a new hanbok that should fit him for many years!  She talked about how big he was and how great he looked and was just so talkative and you could feel her excitement for seeing him.  We finally got some decent pictures of her with C and us all together.  I wish he had been better behaved because those pictures will mean so much in the future.  (I won't be posting pics of the fostermom with us/him for her privacy.)

After she left our social worker took C and I to the toy/play room which deemed to be exactly what he had been waiting for.  I didn't even know there was such a room (it's out in the hallway to the right of the elevator and is for older kids).  My mom and Ryan were in the waiting room where we received C while we all waited anxiously for baby G.  Since I could see the elevators perfectly I was able to catch a glimpse of our baby girl as she and her fostermom got off the elevator.  The fostermom waved and went in the office to do measurements and weight and diaper changes (I know this because C proceeded to spill a bottle of water that wasn't capped and I needed a massive pile of paper towels to clean it up).  Nothing I could do could convince C to leave the playroom to go see baby C.  I wanted to cry because all I could think of was mom and Ryan enjoying our new baby and I was missing out on her!  Normally I would have told C to get a grip and come on but this was the last place that I wanted to cause a scene and he immediately started crying when I said we had to go (tantruming rather).  I finally told him that he had 5 minutes and we were going.  So of course for the entire time we were with G and doing paperwork and last minute information we could hear "when can I go play with the trains, why do I have to be in here, where's the train track, when can I go play with the trains etc" over and over!  My mind was a mess!

Ryan finally came to find me, since baby G had been there already 10 minutes and we were missing it!  Once C was in the room with G (and brought the train) he was fine.  He talked and played with her and rubbed her cheek.  He's sooooo good with her and loves to talk sweet to her.  He keeps coming up to her saying, "Hi little fella' "  and we told him fellows were boys so he of course said what are girls and the first thing we thought of was bella.  So now he calls her 'little bella' or 'grace-ah' (we don't know why) but it sure is cute!

We did all the paper signing and thanker our social worker for the 100th time for making this day super special for us.  Now we have two children who came to our families on the same day and that will be so special and unique to our family in the future.  

While we were there it was time for baby G's bottle and the foster mom made it and handed her and the bottle to me.  I insisted she take her and the bottle a number of times because she was so sad and emotional about leaving her but happy about her having a family.  She wouldn't take her or the bottle one last time and you could see how much it was hurting her.  She helped us put her in the carrier when it was time to go and insisted we leave first.  She watched as the elevator closed and it was so sad hearing little G cry 'omma' over and over and over.  Once we were in the cab she settled down and was smiling.  We made it the short 5-10 minute cab ride to our hotel (it was 20-30 min walking but it was so cold and windy out).  We went upstairs and just looked at her and each other thinking ok, now what!  We couldn't believe the day was finally here and now we were a family of 4.  Once she got tired the tears began but, really, she's been so much easier than C EVER was!  Of course, looking back and knowing now that he was allergic to milk but on milk formula, he had every reason to be so frustrated and agitated!  

She sleeps SOOOO good.  If we lay down with her like the fostermom did, she rolls over and passes out on her own.  It's a miracle!  she slept through the night and still is (6 days later).  She is stubborn and persistent when she does or doesn't want something and knows how to get what she wants.... another huge difference between our two kids.

whenever she starts to get upset we lean her on my back or I put her in the carrier and she stops like a switch!  It's crazy that that's all that needs to be done!  She seriously loves being on my back, and the foster mom had told us whenever she cries she would put her on her back and everything was fine.

------

The rest of our time in Seoul was good.  We took C to the Grand Children's park but it started to get rainy and crowded so we left for an early evening in the hotel.  We also went to the palace with the Biwon (Secret garden) for picture opportunities and did some shopping in Insadong.  She did great strapped on my back and c was strapped on dad's back.  We were told numerous times to watch her head  - no matter which carrier I use or even if we just hold her, she loves to tilt her head back and look up up up.  so she walks around on my back half upside down and all the a-ju-ma's (korean women) freak out and want me to do something about it.  five ladies attacked in one store with their concern, so much that we went outside and switched carriers and came back in and of course that didn't help.  She was watching the ceiling fans and nothing was going to stop her.

We also took C to the aquarium in the Coex which was the coolest aquarium we'd ever been too. They even had their infamous 2-headed turtle there.  It was so neat and hands on for kids.  Low key too so g enjoyed watching the bubbles and fish as well.  the coex is a mall also so we walked around some and ate at Jackie Chan's restaurant and then went to the buddhist temple that was down the street and got some more family photos.

Then we turned in early and packed packed packed!

The flight home was easy and baby G did well, especially after she passed all the gas she had and pooped a few times.  She was the happiest we'd seen her and she slept 2x in the bassinet KoreanAir provides for infants.  She slept all the way home in the car and then was ready to play.  

She seems to be doing well, eating well, drinking well and sleeping super well!  Even C seems to be adjusting to the time change!

shopping and stuff....

So I forgot to mention that yesterday afternoon we headed off to Itaewon to go to the Italian restaurant that we ate at last time (best italian ever!).  On the way over in the 30 minute subway ride we were squished like sardines,, C wanted to sleep and the subway riders literally PUSH as hard as they can to get on.  YOu couldn't move, it was 1000 degrees and I was getting light-headed and freaking out (apparently).  The cold air felt soooo good once we hit the outside.  At dinner I felt woozy and yucky and ended up staying in the bathroom most of the time..... two hours later we were finally able to get back to our hotel, having to stop at nearly every stop so I could RUN to the bathroom.

C slept through everything, there was a bench at dinner and we laid him down.  He didn't wake up until almost back to the hotel.  It was funny because he never misses a meal and every time we mentioned dinner he didn't budge.

So we weren't able to shop for mom's SOCKS that she's addicted too.

Yesterday we started our morning off with the most expensive cup of coffee and tea we've ever had.  Mom and I got hot tea ($10 each) but it was a pot full.  Ryan on the other hand had the smallest cup of "not-so-special" coffee he's ever had for $10!!!!  The bagels were 2.50.. who would have known!  It was in the hotel of course and I think we are at one of the highest rated hotels in seoul.

We walked and found the Kukkiwon Tae Kwon Do building and got there in time to see the team practicing for the demonstration.  We walked to the museum and the curator ask us to sign the guest book.  I wrote C's name in Korean and the guy talked to him the whole time and called their international relations director to come meet us.  He translated for the guy and the guy was beside himself on us adopting C.  The director then showed us back to the demo hall and told us that the students take classes for about 15-20 years and after they finished this year they would be allowed to teach.  They were considered masters but weren't at the highest levels.  He showed us to some seats and told us that the team was the best of the best in korea and that they didn't get many tourists (outside of group tours) at the facility.  It was a little difficult to find but well worth it!  The best part is after the demo the tour group that came is was able to do pictures with the athletes, so I ran C over and he got to take a photo with all of them.  He sat in one of the ladies laps and couldn't stop smiling that he took a picture with them!  So all we've heard today is "everyone is kung fu fighting" or "everyone is tae kwon do-ing..."

He told us to stay for the demonstration and he'd be back with a souvenir for us and C.  Super nice facility, beautiful setting near the children's library in Kangnam district and walking distance to SWS.

Afterwards we rode the subway to Namdaemoon and shopped.  We were given a hanbok by G's foster mother but we also bought another one, slightly larger for her baptism.  It's a new style hanbok and looks like a southern-bell hanbok... seriously it's sooooo Gone with the Wind with the tucks in the skirt that poof it out. Gorgeous embroidery and butterflies all over it.

It started to rain but barely, so we headed to Itaewon so we could get 'socks' and go to a store that I got C's year of the rooster painting.  BUT OF COURSE at lunch (I didn't eat) I got sick all over again and spent most of the next hour in the bathroom.  I tried to do some shopping but felt AWFUL so we headed back to the hotel.  (Will we ever get to Itaewon for mom's socks is the question?)

C actually slept all last night and got up at 6.  He never napped, though his behavior could have used one!

Since it's raining, R and I are going to head back to Itaewon and mom is watching C at the hotel.  We'll probably do something special for him this afternoon. There is a theme park indoors that we might visit, or the aquarium.

The weather is great, temperature wise, just need it to stop raining.

More tomorrow!

PICTURES

Blogger just won't upload my photos, so here is a link to my mac gallery..... you'll have to scroll through her update photos to get to our meeting day photos.

The link is: (you might have to copy and paste it)

http://gallery.me.com/shooting4stars#100101

WE'RE HERE.. and she's wonderful!

We made it to Korea!  The flight seemed longer than last time.... due to entertaining a 3 yr old that REFUSED to sleep longer than 1 1/2 hours (twice).  According to him, there wasn't enough food!  We got here at 5:30pm and found our KAL bus no problem and were dropped off in front of our hotel (We are staying at Imperial Palace).  The place is amazing!  It's like the Ritz of Ritz!  And it has a driving range that tees up your balls for you.  Little man is going to FLIP when he sees it!  We did bring his club so once he knows it's there, we'll never be able to leave the hotel!

We visited baby G today.  It was a 45 minute (Scary) van ride to south west seoul.  The foster mom and baby G were waiting for us outside.  She gave us smiles and likes to hide her face when she does.  She can't let her foster mom out of site though ......

Eventually during our meeting she let us each hold her.  She was fine with that unless the foster mom left the room.  C enjoyed her, and she couldn't take her eyes off of him.  She'd follow him around in her walker.  He gave her a dumbo that he picked out for her and she seemed to really like it.  The best part for me was when she was eating apple in her walker and leaned her head towards me and I did the same.... Ryan's favorite part was C gave her a kiss.  Totally unexpected of him and she LOVED it, smiled real big.  

The foster mom got her some great toys and a hanbok that actually matches C's from when he came home.  We amazingly get to receive baby G on Friday.  Typically SWS won't let you have your baby more than 2 days before you leave (which would be Monday for us), but our SW told them that friday was the same date that we received C 3 years ago and they are letting us have her early!  Two kids on the same day!!!!!  So Friday we'll be meeting C's foster mom at SWS and then receiving G when were done.  It's going to be a great family day!

Enjoy the pictures!  We'll try to update you with happenings around seoul as we move through the week!

TRAVEL CALL TOOOOO!

Better than finding out about the Visa Interview was receiving our travel call as I stood in the middle of the fire department's parking lot - waiting to take a tour!!!!!!  Talk about feeling helpless!  We did the tour but snuck out at the end : )

We leave sunday and return the next week!  We hope to meet our little one on Tuesday!  

We actually got decent prices (compared to what calling direct airlines cost) on expedia.  We just have to add her to our lap before our return flight.  AND we got direct flights. Little C is excited and can't wait to get on a jumbo jet plane!  Everytime the phone rings he'd ask " is that our travel call, is our plane ready?"  This time I got to say yes!  He was so excited to call Dad and tell him!

Lots to do, lots to pack!  The kids are done just us left.....

HAPPY MOMMA AND HAPPY DADA!

we have VI

Just found out that we have a date for G's Visa Interview!!!!!  It's scheduled for tomorrow (Friday the 17th) and the lady said we could call back and see how it went!

We are so close to a travel call now..... either my mom or I needs to have that premonition that comes on right before something like this happens.... I had one before I600 so she should have this one!

UPDATE PHOTOS!

Our "little" one is 18 lbs at nine months!  We are so excited to see an update on her.... and she is sleeping through the night!

P3 sent to our Agency

We are now "P3"  that is, Packet 3 has been sent to our korean agency, next step and final step, will be the Visa Interview (VI).  And then the glorious phone will ring and we'll be on a jet plane!

From the looks of other timelines from fellow adoptive moms - our call could vary between 7 days and 32+, most being around the 15 or 17 day mark!  Fingers crossed it's the 7 day but we anticipate 2 weeks from now!

AND if we stay on track it WILL BE the same week we picked up Cameron!  

NVC in / NVC out

So we finally made it through NVC (National Visa Center) with our packet.  It's on the way to the Embassy in Seoul where they will next log it in and send out "Packet 3" (P3) to our korean agency... and then a Visa Interview (VI) will be scheduled and then  THE TRAVEL CALL!  So we are hopeful for 2 weeks possibly 3  - crossing my fingers it's not longer.... 

This all transpired as we were getting ready for a get-together at our house with AMAZING friends that included 4 three-year old korean adoptees and 2 adult korean adoptees that we've met through friends and two other families that we have grown close with.  It's such a small world when you network through friends!

And to prove how wonderful they are - they threw us a surprise baby shower with delicious cake!  YUM!

We've also FINALLY completed baby G's room - I'll post pictures soon.  It turned out just as I imagined... and she has a full closet so we are ready and Big Bro C is more than ready to get on the plane.  When the phone rings he asks, "Is that our travel call.... is our plane ready?"  He wants nothing more than to get on the (and to quote him) "biggest super duper jumbo jet plane of his life" (for a second time).

I-600 APPROVAL!!!!!!

SO finally after 9 weeks of waiting, two senators and two social workers..... we finally have our I600 approval.  Our GA senator (Isakson) office called this morning to tell us the great news!  Even before we've received our letter from CIS! 

Our social worker says we have about 3-4 weeks before we travel to Korea.  Thursday I can start calling the National Visa Center to see if our packet has been sent to the Embassy in Korea.  If so then she can let our agency (SWS) know and they can be on the lookout for the final steps before travel!

We are beside ourselves with H-A-P-P-Y but still have baby G's room to finish and some odd and end work around the house that we wanted done before she came home!  It looks like she should be home before the holidays begin!!!!!

Trophies & Hanboks

C has had quite a busy two weekends.... and obviously I've been to busy to update the blog.  We went to a Korean churn in Atlanta that was hosting a "Seoul Train" subway stops around Seoul tour for adoptive families.  It was a great way for them to show us life in Korea.  They had different stations set up around the gym.  Each station on the "track" was a subway stop.  They had food at one, a market, acupuncture/massage, olympics, Korean taffy, scroll painting and others.  They gave us a gift bag at the door with some dried seeweed snacks (which C loves) and an explanation of each stop AND mini-wons for C to "buy" things with at the different station.  They did all this for our families for free.  You could tell they truly enjoyed putting on the event and were eager to help us and explain cultural items.  We also had a feast fit for KINGS!  The food was great and I should have gotten a good shot of the food table!  YUM!

C had a great time as you can see in the pics and loved his hanbok, didn't even want to take it off to eat... but Mommy one that arguement!  It was handpainted - it didn't need jap chae or mandu all over it!

We also ended our first team sport of T-ball.  C made GREAT progress.  Initially he used only the T stand and that was work in progress.  Now he was hitting pitched balls on the first pitch!  He caught his first ball and came running to where the parents were sitting to show me.  It was so funny because he went opposite of the hitter, but finally he got the ball back to the pitcher.  The best part for him was either the trophy or the cupcake... I think the trophy.  He's soooo proud of it!  Cousin C and my C had a great time together and I suppose soccer starts up next!

USCIS spells STRESS

SERIOUSLY now!  Can it really take USCIS 90 days to process an I-600 form????  Apparently our atlanta office does (and I'm sure there are a few select others that do as well.)  Some offices are approving their I600 forms in 2-4 weeks - that's sooooo great for those families!  The I-600 is required on the US end before we can even think of traveling to pick up our daughter.  For our first adoption it took them 3 days - no complaints back then.... so how is it that it now takes 90 days?  I'm willing to bet that there aren't that many more (if any) adoptions going through as 2005.  So that's our baby being 90 days OLDER!  plus you have to add an additional month on the tail end of that for the approved I-600 to make it's way through to NVC (national visa center) and then on to korea for the final steps of receiving a visa interview (for baby G) and THEN a travel call!

People we have requesting info on our I600

2 social workers

1 set of parents (us)

2 senators

And here we are:

7-18-08  -7 wks since legals received & I-600 submitted (G was 6 mo old)

6-2-08    -3 months since our referral (G was 5 mo old)

12-12-07  -9 months since our homestudy to korea (HSTK)

7-07         -14 months since we started the paperwork

4 months old - the age of baby G at the time photos were taken for referral

8 months old - baby G's age now

I bet Baby C thinks baby G is "pretend" and momma and dadda are C R A Z Y.  He knows all about her and what's going to happen when we get that call so he's ready.

He's so ready in fact, that when I told him he had to get medicine in his arm in order to get on a plane to korea - he was soooo there!  No tears for his shot, just requested his sticker AND asked if we could get on the plane now!  I wish baby boy, I wish!

Poor boy probably thinks we live in a pretend world!

I know the call will come, the paperwork will come, and all those good feelings will come but now would be better than later!