1 Week Home

Today marks our first week home! It's hard to believe that about this time last week we were literally just arriving at our home. 

Baby.steps.folks. 

We are learning in our house what a difference one day can make. 

We saw this pattern forming in Seoul. Each day Gavin became more comfortable with us and our surroundings, and then it was time to "go home" When we "got home" we were dealing with 3 sick people and fighting jet lag, which is a challenge in itself. 

What has happened this week?

Gavin no longer cries when he travels in the car. In Korea, as far as I know, babies are not in car seats. So, to get off a plane and then be strapped into a strange contraption while you're overtired isn't the funnest thing in the world...and he definitely let us know that on the way home. However, we have been going at least one place a day in the car and now there's not a whimper from him.

For the past two nights, Gavin has been sleeping in his crib. I'm still sleeping in his bedroom with him so I can comfort him if he wakes up, but he's doing a great job. He is a restless sleeper and he would have had to compete with the dogs in our bed, so from Night 1 he has been in his bedroom. The location of where he has slept in his room has just changed, from futon mattress with me to his crib. When he is sleeping, that seems to be the time when he still shows grief so we are there to make sure he is comforted right away, since when trying to see if he can self soothe, it's not happening during this tumultuous time in his life. 

Each day he is attaching more and more to Matt. Originally he would smile at Matt, but that was it. Then he let Matt help him walk up and down the stairs. The dogs were the first ones to receive kisses from Gavin, but Matt got kisses before me, and is more willing to give Matt a kiss if asked. Also, tonight he let Matt help him in and out of his car seat and allowed Matt to hold him while we were talking with a neighbor. We knew it would happen, but again when you're over tired...things seem a little more desperate...

He LOVES the dogs...and the dogs are very good with him. 

We are still speaking the few Korean phrases we know and he is beginning to learn some English. Sometimes I think he thinks we're ridiculous...speaking jibberish/nonsense to him and he just bursts out laughing at us. LOVE his laughter!

There has been plenty of laughter and there have been plenty of tears shed, too... they are not all Gavin's. What really helps is the support and advice that we have gotten from other parents who have recently adopted in regards to some adoption concerns and of course parenting advice in general. Being a first time parent with a toddler, who is trying to do the best he can in a strange new place is hard...but I can say we know it's worth it and we would be willing to do it again. 

So, that's our week in a nutshell! We appreciate your support and love that still surrounds us!
PS-We promise we are working on table manners.