Pictures

family of 5

going home!

ready to go

everywhere we go the boys fall asleep-like father, like son

almost 3 weeks of laundry:(

Life at Home

We arrived Monday afternoon to LAX, I almost kissed the ground of good ole US of A, but decided against it since our airport is embarrassingly unattractive and extremely unhygienic compared to other international airports-why is that?  The day prior to our departure our sweet boy and I were alone packing our bags in preparation for our trip.  He asked me which children's home he was going to in America.  I asked him again what he meant because I was confused by his question; I realized he thought he was going to another orphanage.  I told him that he was going to our home with his mom, dad and sisters.  I reiterated this two times and when it registered he hugged my neck and wouldn't let go.  My heart felt so pricked by his question, his little five year old mind couldn't possibly make sense of what a family was-he never experienced it.  The flight went extremely smooth, though he never played video games-boy genetics I assume- as he was able to turn on his monitor screen and figure out what/where to go without the ability to read or know the alphabet.  After his meal, which he throughly enjoyed, I told him it was time to sleep and he did without fussing (ahhh wish I could bottle this).  He woke up with the smell of breakfast, while he was kicking his feet with delight at the sight of food, he ate everything.

Shall I splurge and buy him a new helmet?

We went through immigration and the surly officer wanted to interview Braeden alone.  Jeff gave me that pleading look not to make waves as he saw the determined maternal lioness surfacing.  I politely mentioned that our son was monolingual and passively-aggressively asked if he spoke Korean.  The officer stated that the interview would be facilitated in English.  You are probably wondering what I was thinking--bureaucracy amongst other rated R thoughts.  We did get through the process without having Braeden deported or me arrested.  We left the airport and went to Irvine where we had Subway for lunch as the very thought of Korean food makes us a little sick.  We watched in disbelief Braeden inhaling the 6" lunch meat sandwich filled with lettuce and tomatoes-it was impressive but yet worrisome of how his little body would digest the massive amount of food he was intaking.  Finally, we made it home and to our delightful surprise our friends and neighbors had adorned the house inside and out with signs of welcome and decorative balloons.  The fridge was filled with Korean food for Braeden; in our garage there was a new bike for him.  Words cannot describe the love we felt.  Thank you friends!

Neighbors came one by one with gifts and while using their feet as stoppers to our door they poked their heads to see the celebrity:)  So in the end I did not get to cocoon him as he wanted to find out who each person was and wanted to get to know their children.  He loves children as evidenced by his approach to a crying child at Old Navy (all the clothes I bought him from Nordies doesn't fit as he is a size 3) he went to the little child and gently handed him a ball.  Braeden is a soft spoken boy who appears to observe and process; he shows affection and openly receives affection.  He shares that he loves America because of the toys he plays with and the trains that he has.  He said in the orphanage they shared one Thomas the train.  He also said that he loves his mom, dad and sisters.  All this to say that the transition is going remarkably well.  However,  I would not be truthful if I didn't include that it still feels that I am his caregiver and I hope that the authentic feeling of parenthood will come-I have these irrational fear that it won't which keeps me up at night.  Britney says it wisely that it feels like we are babysitting him and Jeff says confidently that time will equal intimacy.   He is so lovable!

Boy parts!

Things have been going very smoothly, its a bit eerie how wonderful the transition has been.  Brooke and Britney get the majority of the credit because they are entertaining, loving and compassionate.  Jeff and I are still like two deers in front of headlights especially when it comes to the "boy parts."  To sit him down or to stand him-that is the question.  Neither at this point seems to work well, it goes everywhere:( We need a urinal!

First 48

We started the day at Eastern Social Welfare Society (Dillon’s co-op agency), there we received the documents that would allow us to leave the country with our son.  We also met with the president and had lunch with her.   Our highlight at Eastern was the opportunity to hold some babies that needed to be soothed.  Crying babies were instantly comforted.

We then took a van ride to our one hour destination - Suwon.  The rain was pouring outside and the mention of it, our daughter Brooke said it made it more memorable, such the romantic.  When we reached the orphanage, we were met with warm staff members who had been preparing for our arrival.  The director met us with an embrace and asked us to sit in the room where we had seen two videos made of Braeden.  The girls instantly recognized the blue chairs with the yellow cushions.  We made small talk and I couldn’t stand it anymore, I asked when we were going to meet our boy.  The director instructed her staff to bring him in.  Within moments, while holding hands with his “mother” he walked in, it was a surreal.  He gravitated towards Brooke and made a connection with her first and then to Britney.  His two “mothers” did a wonderful job preparing him for his new family; they spoke to him every night about him going to his forever family and to America.  When we felt he was acclimated we asked my parents to come in, all instructions were thrown out the window because they ran to him and scooped him up and squeezed him.  They both said they had been waiting for him and asked if he waited long--he said, “yes!”  He held onto my mother, who at this point was crying-my dad (the weeper of the family) was also making tears as well.  My sweet boy held their face and wiped their tears.  The director at this point too was crying and saying to Braeden, how rich he was now.  I was observing all this in disbelief, but when I saw how our son was soaking it all up, all theories went out the window and I thought to myself just feel the love my son-we are all here for you.  

While holding onto his sisters hands we took a tour of the orphanage where he lived since he was 16 months.  His little peers were all shouting and asking if we were his family.  As orphanages goes, it was clean, well staffed, wonderful extra-curricular activities for the children, and the environment was warm.  When it was time for us to leave he jumped in the van and motioned for his sisters to join him.  He didn’t say good-bye to his “mother” or the director; they were surprised, but the director said she was glad he was ready to leave.  When the van left the grounds of the orphanage, he asked where we were going and we told him we were going to the hotel.  I made the mistake of leaving my cell phone and so we had to U-turn and go back--he anxiously asked why we were going back and held onto us.  

Our little guy eats well, sleeps well and is appropriately affectionate.  He prefers his sisters, but when he hurt his hand and bit his tongue (eating meat-his favorite) he came to me; when he needs to go to the bathroom he goes to his dad.  When either Jeff or I need to go out to get something, we give him a choice to stay or go with one of us, he chooses neither of these two choices, but asks the whole family to go.  The first night we gave him a choice of who to sleep with, he chose to sleep with both his sisters.  The second night, he chose his dad.  Its an out of body experience and we still have not caught up to our bodies yet.  We are set to arrive home on Monday and we can’t wait for our rhythm of our lives to begin. 

The day is here!

Today is the day we meet our little guy!  We finally get to meet the person who has grown in our hearts for 16 months.  We pray as a family that we will have unconditional positive regard; this term was coined by Carl Rogers and is the basic acceptance and support of a person regardless of what he says or does. We realize this journey will not be easy and we go in it with our eyes wide open.  I haven't been this excited since my first neuroscience class, I mean when I was getting married to Jeff.  I haven't been this anxious since ever.  Will he accept us?  Will he be scared?

We thank Boo's birthmother for choosing life and giving him to us as a gift; we hope to raise him into a man after God's own heart.  Though he was not birthed from us, he was birthed from our hearts.  The hurts that he has experienced we won't be able to erase but we hope that we can help carry his yoke.  

Now we are going to listen to Black Eye Peas as a family!  

I gotta feeling that todays’s gonna be a good day

That todays’s gonna be a good day

That today’s gonna be a good good day (x3)

Today’s the day day

Let’s live it up