Happy Lunar New Year!

FM

Question-Who is the beautiful and serene lady in our post today?

Answer-My foster mother

Since entering January I have definitely had thoughts of Korea swirling in my head. 2012 is what we have all been waiting for since we believe that we will soon be united with our baby boy.

Lately, I've been thinking about Gavin and his foster family and how 2012 signifies the END of loving and caring for this boy who has been a part of their family for almost a year.

I really admire the strength the foster families have. They care and love our babies through sickness and health, help them reach their important milestones, and then they are able to say goodbye and send them to a new country.

Gavin happens to be our foster family's first foster child so I hope that the transition will be as smooth as possible for them. Our goal is to be consistent about sending updates to Korea, so they know that he is doing well in his new home.

............................................

When we started the adoption process, I hoped to find information about my foster mother, so I could meet her when we traveled to Korea.

I was able to find some information. My foster mother was only a foster mother from November 1976 until May 1977, Essentially it's the dates from my birth until the day I arrived in America. I also have her name. However, my agency said without an address or ID number they would not be able to find her.

Was I disappointed? Yes.

I would have loved to have met her and have the chance of saying thank you for caring for me for the first 6 months of my life.
In my dreams I imagine that my foster mother would be pleased with my journey along life's path and she would be tickled pink that I was returning to Korea to adopt a son...

...and yes, I treasure the fact that I have her name, and have found one more link to my time that I lived in the ROK.

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

One Year Ago...

Today marks the one year mark for our adoption journey to adopt our son, Gavin Min-Seo! It was this day last year where we mailed in our application to begin the adoption process.

In anticipation for the day when we finally get to travel (hopefully sometime this spring) we have decided that every weekend we are going to do something to prep...a biggie is getting his room ready.

If you saw our last post, you know that his crib is finally built. We would have shown more of the room. Unfortunately, there's not too much more to show at this point.

This weekend we bought his mattress, which we tested in his crib for sturdiness, along with Ace. Don't worry the plastic cover is still on the mattress! We also found that we will definitely need to lower the mattress since Gavin is taller than Ace and could probably just walk over his crib rail.

I believe we have enough to keep us busy until our sweet boy comes home.

If you are wondering what is happening in the actual process, everyone is waiting for Exit Permits. MPAK has a great article in regards to what adoptive families are waiting on and what is happening in Korea. Please click here to find out more information.

Thanks for your love and support! Hopefully we'll have some great news to share with you fairly soon!

2nd Physical Exam + New Pic!

What a nice surprise! Today we received Gavin's 2nd Physical Exam and a New Pic!!!

It must be fairly chilly in Korea right now. It looks like he's wearing about 4 layers of clothing! ...and if you're wondering, yes we sent the dog sweater. :)

Gavin is 33 inches and weighs 26.5 pounds.

He has 6 teeth on top and 6 teeth on the bottom.

It also says he drinks from a cup. It looks like we won't have to worry about cleaning any bottles!

...an extra is this last appointment was on Matt's birthday. I know it's totally random, but I am still convinced that the majority of time when we find out new information it's usually the same day as someone's birthday that we know, a holiday, or a significant event.

...and yes, it looks like "everyone" is still waiting to hear when the EPs will start getting submitted and approved.

We'll keep you posted-We Promise!!!

Crib is Built-Check

I am happy to report that Matt and I survived building Gavin's crib. And we are mighty proud of the fact that no one was injured during the building of it.

If you know us, we aren't the handiest people around...

We are grateful that our brother in law Joe put up the baby gate so Gavin will not tumble down our stairs. We thought very fondly of Joe when we were putting together the crib, and his craftsman skills.

I'm not sure what's so perplexing about building things. We want to believe it's the fact that the pictures don't always match the parts that are sent or visa-versa.

However, after an hour or so...with a little frustration, some aha moments, and some whistling from Snow White, it is up!

We know you're probably wondering, is there any news? And the answer is, not yet. But, we will definitely let you know when we hear something. :-)

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year!!!

2011-You took us on a wild ride, that we will never forget!

2012-We know that there are some amazing memories that are waiting to be made!

Wishing you and your families peace, love, and happiness in 2012!