New pics!! & Korean food!

So the sweet little cherubs returned unscathed (minus some bug bites) from a week with the grandparents.  Not sure I can say the same for the ole grandparents, but hey keeps you young, right Mom????

And in other news, we got some new pictures.  They could not have been better timed.  In fact, the morning we got them, I had been talking (read: whining) about how it had been a month, he should be going in for his WBC, blah, blah, blah...  We got 4 new pictures and of course he is even more adorable (if that is possible).  Unfortunately, he wasn't looking at the camera in any of them.  And, in what we think is a coincident, he is wearing the same shirt he was wearing last month.  I can tell you he has lovely, long toes and loves a pacifier.  We went shopping for his upcoming birthday package and bought him several outfits!  I learned that his first package hasn't made it to him yet, I sure hope that outfit will fit him at all!

The big kiddos are going back to the grandparents for a bit this weekend, so S, D & I are thinking we might try to eat some Korean food.  See, there isn't too much in the way of diverse cuisine in our area, but my parents don't live to far from a, well, rather large area, with lots of FOOD options!  So in a slightly bizarre move, I reached out to another blogger I have gained some great info/knowledge/etc from to ask her recommendation, because she is familiar with that area.  So, "wise blogger" if you are reading:  Please don't think I am a weirdo stalker!!

thanks!

Not too much summer left, and we are planning an event to celebrate HM's 1st birthday although he won't be here.  I am wondering if anyone has any Korean birthday traditions we could incorporate, knowing the birthday boy won't be there!?!?!

Night all!

Quiet around here

Saturday the cherubs went to stay with G.G. & P-pa.  They will be there all week.  Man, it is Q U I E T here!  I have been mostly alone all day as S constructs stairs for our deck.  Just me and the animals, staying inside and staying cool.  I have caught up on some shows, read some blogs and even baked something!  I know that last part is hard to believe, but really I did...banana blueberry bread.  Not sure yet how it will taste, but it smells good.  I have been thinking a lot about H and how much longer we will wait until he can come home.  I have been reading a lot of other blogs of families with children from Korea.  Some are waiting and some have come home.  It helps to know there are other people waiting too, although I feel sad for all of them also.  And it definitely helps to read about families that have recently come home, their adjustments and joys.  I also keep thinking of H's birth mother.  Next week will make 11 months that he has graced this earth.  I hope she finds comfort each day, and I long for the day that we may know her and thank her, and share H with her.

Speaking of H, I struggle with what I want to call him.  We picked a name for him, and I like it.  The thing is there is nothing wrong with his given name, and we are keeping it.  Part of me feels like we shouldn't add to his name and part of me wants to be part in choosing it.  I don't know.  I like the flow of the names all together, but I am just not sure what I will call him everyday.  Maybe I will call him his Korean name, I like it.  I hear that from a lot of people, that his Korean name is unique and "cool."  All of our children have unique names, so why does he need an "Americanized" name anyway???  I know we have lots of time, but every time I refer to him as "H" it seems odd.  He is M now, not H.  Just my thoughts.

I hope this will be a good week.  Dieka is doing well, and I think she is feeling very little pain now which is all I care about.  She is still very hesitant to cross that invisible fence, although it is unplugged and she is usually wearing no collar.  So I think it is GREAT that I get to be the kind person that is dragging a 3 legged dog around the house, so she can go potty.  I'm sure my neighbors think I am the cruelest person in the world!!!! lovely!!!

We gained 4 feet & now we are losing 1

It has been a rollercoaster of a week.  Last Tuesday, T got a kitten.  She named him Sebastian (no Little Mermaid influence here).  She actually wanted to name him Buttercup, but if you notice his picture, it isn't exactly a matching name.  Anyway, I suggested something from a favorite show or movie, and Sebastian stuck.  He is from the SPCA, and actually quite sweet.
That is where the good story ends.

Sebastian

For good measure, here is Mayor Quimby, so he isn't left out.

We noticed this past weekend that our dog, Dieka, had a swollen wrist.  Based on her age and breed we felt confident this was more than a sprain.  Today at the vet, my fears were confirmed...cancer, bone cancer.  Those that know me know I regularly comment about Dieka's age and how little time she has left.  Really, that was me trying to prepare myself for a day like today.  But when it came, I feel no more prepared.  Dieka is a special girl.  She is OBNOXIOUS, and all that have been to my house know that.  BUT, she is definitely a great part of the C family.  She was a gift from me to S our first Christmas together, which makes her even more special.  She is a menace at times, getting in the trash, on the counter, barking at leaves blowing by at 6am.  And I am not done with those annoying things.  So, although we are trying to save our money for a certain trip to Korea next spring, this Thursday Dieka will undergo surgery to amputate her leg, in hopes of giving her more time to be a menace.  Tonight, we will explain it to the kids, and it makes me sad that they will experience this and the eventual lost, but I know that is part of growing up. 

So, I am hoping things go well on Thursday (and maybe hoping that she will won't be able to get on the counter anymore).
We love you Dieka!

In other news, we have applied for our i-600 I think, and are looking forward to celebrating a little someone's 11 month birthday next week.  Time is flying, and at the same time moving at a snail's pace.  I am hoping to get an undate soon, maybe even a video!?!?!?!

A great weekend

Ok, so the last picture is actually from Father's day, but I think it is such a great representation of the family.  We had a great weekend.  There were S'mores and burgers, birthday cake and great company.  Some minor inconveniences popped up here and there, but all in all it was a good time for all.  We were lucky to get to celebrate the birthday of a super sweet 3 year old and see some great friends that we adore and don't see enough.  Of course, we also got to see friends we adore and see all the time, WIN WIN!!
P received his first REAL golf club and went to the driving range for the 1st time Sunday.  He got a quick lesson from our friend B, and off he went. 
We have made it to July, which in some ways has come so quickly and at the same time has taken forever.  We have begun planning our celebration for H's birthday, which just happens to be 2 days after S's birthday, so celebrate we will!!
I think it is about time for us to start putting together another care package to sent off to H in time for is birthday.

YIPPEEE

It came!!  Well let me back up.   Monday I received a call from the supervisor I had left a message for on Friday.  I can only say: no one has ever made me as happy as he did in that short phone call.  He basically said there was a misunderstanding and our paperwork could be processed as normal.  So today, a week after I received the letter "requesting more evidence" or I-171H arrived!!!  Great way to start the weekend.  That is one more thing completed. 
I also mailed H's package out on Monday, so hopefully he will be receiving that stuff soon.  I am already starting to think about his next package and what we can send him for his birthday.
Any ideas?

Emotional Rollercoaster

Sorry I fell off the face of the earth for almost 2 weeks, shame on me!  I really want to be diligent and post at least once a week.  I have no excuse other than lazy.   I would mean to post, then end up waiting until I was just too late to offer anything coherent.

Anyway, yesterday was exhausting.  We got a letter from the fabulous Immigration agency, you know....  It stated that they needed more "evidence" because our daycare provider comes to our home.  She does.not however live here.  I tried calling my social worker who kindly said there must be some confusion, she has never heard of this, then the officer at said government agency...who let's say wasn't that helpful.  Now, I have found the people there to be quite pleasant the couple times I have called, but not so much this time.  So I determined that we will likely have to ask our childcare provider to submit to a background check, driving 2+ hours to get fingerprinted, and interview with our social worker, and medical exam.  I hope she is willing, but what if she refuses??  I am reeling at what to do next.  I have left a message for the "officers" supervisor in hopes of him seeing that this isn't a requirement for I-600a approval, but I am not optimistic.

BUT after all of that, I opened my email to find an UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
H is HUGE, bigger than the rest of the C kids at 9 months.  He is almost 19lbs, which T & P weren't until a year old.  He is similar in size to "baby D"  Not sure if the outfit I got him, will fit, at least not for long.  He is ADORABLE, & I am even more in love today than yesterday.  He is truly so precious.  1 picture they sent he is definitely over the photo-op, and he is still just the cutest little guy! 

I wish I could share his picture, you guys are so missing out on such a cutie, but I have looked at it enough times for the entire population of the world! 

We will send his package next week, and maybe plan for size 18 months sooner rather than later.  We will also figure out all this paperwork garbage and do whatever we have to to get our approval.  This is one of those times that the long wait is beneficial, at least no time crunch.

H-We love you!  Happy early 10month Birthday.  I am going to hope a pray for good news on Monday from the immigration supervisor.  Boy, next spring can't come soon enough.

Passing the time...

We have a paperchain to help the kids with the countdown to H, but with the recent unknowns about time frames, I am hesitant to let them remove the links, for fear that I will have to explain when the links are gone and H isn’t here.  I have thinking a lot this morning about passing the time and our wait to bring H home.  Of course, now I forget (maybe because Backyardigans is playing, and distracting me!)  Hopefully as I write my thought will come back.

It makes me sad that hours pass without H being in the forefront of my mind.  It seems wrong.  At the same time I find it odd that the feeling I have is missing him.  Can you miss someone you have never met?  Is that the right word? I don’t know that it is, but I miss him.  I am sad when I look in the back of my vehicle where his car seat will go.  I am sad that I don’t know what size clothes he wears, whether he can crawl, if he is babbling.  I know nothing about him & I miss him.  I guess I miss the hypothetical him.  The him that I imagine he is.  But, I really don’t know him, so well, it is just a strange emotion/feeling.

S gives me a hard time because he says I have read the entire internet twice!  I admit it, I am online A LOT.  I feel like I am constantly searching for a better connection to my Asian boy.  I read blogs, and am on Yahoo groups, forums, you name it.  I want to feel through others that are already united with their child.  How are they doing?  Is he/she adjusting quickly, slowly?  What things helped? Something to help me feel more connected to H.  

I have a million questions and no answers.  I am someone who is impatient and somewhat control oriented.  Boy, is this a challenge!  I remember my social worker telling me the wait would be hard, and I knew it would, but WHEW!  That is all I can say.

I have the package ready to go to H, I just need to insert  a letter for his foster family.  Wow!  What does one say to complete strangers who are nurturing and loving your child, who you have never met???  Thank you doesn’t seem adequate.  I am struggling a bit with it, but I need to get it done, the end.  I hardly want them to think we haven’t been thinking of H or them.

Today I went to B&N with T to use a gift card and buy her a book that I read as a young girl.  While waiting to check out, I saw this:

I opened it and glanced inside and teared up.  I want this book for H, well really for all of my kids, to read and see families that are made up of people who might not all look the same, but still are family.  I realize though that H is not looking for a family, in fact he is innocently unaware of us, or his need for a family.  I have recently read some interesting points of view about this.  Adoption is selfish, I know that.  I realize that H hasn't asked for any of this, and with his adoption will come challenges of giving him equal parts of his history and culture, while still being part of the C clan.  I feel sad for being selfish and at the same time I don't.  I want the culture to become part of me, for us all to share and learn and enjoy the heritage and culture of H's birthcountry.  I don't know what would have happened if we weren't adopting H, maybe another family would have called him part of their clan.  Would he have been adopted in his birthcountry?  I have gotten conflicting messages as to whether or not that would be likely.  If he weren't adopted, what would happen?  Would he age out of foster care, like children un teh US do?  Would he be institutionalized, group home?  I don't know.  What I know is that adoption is something I have always felt in my heart as part of me.  I was a "thrid culture kid" and maybe that is why.  I don't know, it doesn't matter to me.  What matters is this isn't just an adoption now.  This is H joining this family, and us joining his journey in life.  I look forward to it, with all the unknowns that are.

So I continue to search the internet, gain knowledge, hope for answers and guidance.  I look at the paperchain hanging on the wall and wait.  One thing is for sure, it will be a long wait.  I hope when the time comes I will have learned more, more language, more cuisine, more culture.

Tonight we cook our first Korean dinner, pulgogi.  Wish me luck, (I mean S, I don't cook!!!)  And I plan  to put more pics on this blog, who wants to just read what we have to say....NO ONE.  You want to see cuteness too.  I can't share the cuteness that is H (and believe me his is  C-U-T-E) but here is a glimpse at the rest of the C cuteness:

D with Aunt T

Limbo-ing

T's Birthday

Grateful for the cuteness I have a home to help me pass the time...