Our Family Adventure

I Just Don't Get It!!!

2009-07-27T15:42:00.003-04:00

So, this morning as I am getting ready there was a story on the news about a local woman, who stabbed her baby to stop the crying. How did the news put it..."She wanted to put a smile on her babies face". How sick is this?! I see these stories all the time on the news and I am just outraged by people who abuse their children. As I was eating lunch today, I was checking msnbc out for news. And what do I see?! "Mom ate brain after killing baby". WHAT?! What has our world come to that people are hurting/killing their children? I don't even have the words to describe how outraged and angry this makes me!!!! It amazes me the paperwork and background checks adoptive parents go through when adopting. And then there are these women/men, who are not ready to be parents, have a baby and abuse them. They aren't required to have background checks, and they should!!!

Sorry had to vent!!!!!!! It just breaks my heart!!!!

Finalization Date Set and Start of the Next...

2009-04-26T20:43:00.003-04:00

Update....

On April 15th, we recieved our notice to appear in court to finalize Ryan's adoption. We are so excited!!!! We can't believe that it has been over six months. They have flown by and are looking forward to the future. We bought Ryan a really cute outfit for court. We will post pictures of the BIG event.

Also on April 15th, we were informed that we are official on the list for the next adoption from Korea. It is a long story and will post more details later, but we have to use a different agency. We are still getting use to the idea because we aren't as comfortable with this agency. We can only use two agencies in Vermont for Korea, and our agency closed their program. Our homestudy will be going to Korea in December of this year, and we should get a referral 5 to 6 months from then. It is hard to predict exactly when, so these dates are projections.

So keep us in your thoughts and prayers....

November, December and January.....

2009-04-26T19:52:00.038-04:00

I have tried really hard to update everyone, but it just isn't getting done. We are enjoying our time with Ryan so much. I am going to add some picture from November through January. Hey, a picture says a 1,000 words. Right?

On the last warm day before winter started, we took Ryan to the park. He loved the swings!!!

Ryan played with this ball forever. I just love this picture of him. He would roll it away from him, and go crawl to it. And start all over again.

What a cutie!!!

Sleeping with Mommy....

At Middlebury College during a Korean Culture Club dinner for Korean Adoptees with Marc playing on the piano.

Playing with Mommy's baskets.

Just love it!!!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. Ryan absolutely loves turkey!!

Ryan got this AWESOME sled from his Godparents, Amy and Jeremy.

Ryan with Amy and Jeremy.

Ryan loves playing with Abbie's cage. Abbie...not sure what she thinks about that.

Ryan loves looking out the windows.

Trying to get a family photo for the Xmas card.

Our little Eskimo in his AWESOME sled.

Setting up the Xmas train with Daddy.

Swimming with Mommy. Ryan LOVES the water!!!

Sleepy boy!!

Celebrating Xmas with the boys...

Celebrating Xmas with Papa and Meme.

Ryan's First Xmas

Ryan was playing Peak-A-Boo with the new curtains.

Celebrating Xmas with Nana.

New Shoes!!

LOVES playing in Abbie's water bowl. Ugh...

Watching Signing Time with Alex and Leah...doing "More"

Playing Piano with Mommy.

Playing piano...

Showing off my crawling skills.

Once again looking out the window.

Started taking Baths in the BIG bath tube. No more sink.

Look at my pearly whites.

Congrats to Our Friends!!!

2009-03-26T08:40:00.001-04:00

After all the praying everyone did this week, our friends recieved a call yesterday telling them their son was finally coming home on Friday. We are so excited for them!!!! CONGRATS!!!

Prayer Request....

2009-03-24T09:26:00.002-04:00

Hi, Everyone.

I am working on the November post, but I wanted to ask for a prayer request from you. Our friends are waiting for their son to come home from Korea, and it has been over four and half months of waiting. They finally had their son's Visa get issued, but are just waiting for the phone call to say he is coming home. Please pray for them. It is difficult for anyone to wait, but even more so when you have to wait for as long as they have. They are amazing people with such kind and loving hearts. Thanks.

Late October 2008

2009-03-13T12:25:00.007-04:00

Ryan has transitioned so smoothly that I can’t remember what life was like before he came home. He amazes me every day with new things that he does. For months many people have been asking for updates on Ryan and pictures. It isn’t that we have been ignoring those requests, but we have been enjoying every moment we can with Ryan. We have created a photo sharing site with Shutterfly for all of our pictures because we are going to do limited pictures on this blog. I am sure you can imagine how many pictures we have since I am a picture freak! If you would like the address to the other photo blog, please email me.

Ryan arrived home on October 22, 2008 at approximately 8:30 pm. Our agency greeter at the airport was an adoptive mom of two children (pre-teen and teen) from Korea, and it turned out that she knew Dave’s Dad and Stepmom making the event even more special. It was the 10th anniversary of her daughter coming home from Korea that day, and we were so excited that she would get to see Ryan come home. We were also joined by a photographer (an adoptive mom of two boys from Vietnam – http://www.deannadimarziophotography.com/) and her husband to take pictures for us. They are absolutely amazing photos, and if you would like to see them email me. There are pictures of me jumping up and down like an excited kid, and she took one with my feet not even touching the ground. No tears for me! I was way too excited for Ryan to come home. She went down with the greeter to take some pictures before we saw Ryan, which was great to see those after the fact. I can’t tell you how amazing that moment was when Ryan and his escort came up from the terminal. He was absolutely the most beautiful baby, and wasn’t crying. We have definitely learned he loves to explore and loves new adventures. We sent a photo book with our pictures (all labeled in Korean) and two books with a tape recording of us reading them. I would HIGHLY recommend families to do this. Ryan looked at us like he knew us, and even recognized our voices as we spoke to him as the escort held him. He came right to us, and didn’t cry once even with the poop in his pants (that told me he was comfortable). The escort handed him to us very quickly because the carrier she was carrying him in was way too small for him and her. She was this tiny little thing carrying this very large baby. I predicted that Ryan would be maybe 20 pounds when he came home, but oh no, he was heavier. Here is our first official family photo (actually our second but that is okay).

He had this little bracelet, like newborns in the hospital, to identify him. It was just so precious. He was dressed in one set of pajamas and another outfit over that. I could only imagine how hot he was, and he lost one sock as they got off the plane. We never did find the sock, but socks not staying on his feet is very common for him. It was so nice to spend that first night with him in the hotel. Most of the time it was just him and I, and I learned so much about him in the first 12 hours. He did take two naps that night probably around his nap time in Korea (they were 13 hours ahead in time). He has the cutest yawn, and looks at you so deeply checking every feature out on your face. He slept the whole car ride home, but we left at his bed time in Korea, which helped. One of our favorite pictures is right when we left the hotel in the car. We put Ryan in the car seat in his “kabuki suit” (as Dave calls it), and he grinned at me sitting behind him as we drove away. Almost like he had a little secret, so I snapped a picture. We saw the doctor after getting home, and he was just great! Ryan did really well too. He weighed almost 23 pounds and was 30.5 inches (which we have later found out was wrong…probably more like 29.5 inches).
Dave was home for the first two weeks with me, so we were able to rest and spend time with Abbie too. One of the first days Ryan was home we took a walk with Abbie, and he loves being in the stroller. Another favorite picture of ours is from our first walk as a family of four. We hung low for the first week and a half, but we had a house full for Halloween. Two of my aunts, my cousin and her family and our good friends with their son came to have dinner and go trick a treating. Ryan was a dragon for his first Halloween. He was so cute! Here are some pictures from the events. He made it for about 30 minutes, and he was out for the rest of the walk around the neighborhood.

Update....Coming Soon!!!

2009-03-05T20:59:00.001-05:00

We Promise Update Coming Soon!!!!!!

Early Morning Email on Arrival Day

2008-10-22T08:02:00.003-04:00

As soon as we woke up we checked the flight information for Ryan's flight, and everything is going well. They even left 5 minutes early. So, I also thought I would check my email. And we received an email from Betsey at the agency. She received her morning email from Korea with information about Ryan and his departure. And we received a new picture!!!!!

I have mentioned before that the foster family loves him so much, and we knew this departure would be very difficult for him. He is their first foster son, and I really hope they continue to be foster parents. They have amazing hearts, and we consider them part of our family. Many times we just think of the foster mom, but in this case I knew this departure was going to be difficult for the foster brother, sister and father. Please pray for their hearts to feel, and they know that they are important people in our son's life forever. Dave and I both cried when we read this email from Betsey. I wish I could explain how my heart feels in words, but I am not sure their are words that can. My heart breaks for them, but I am also excited he is coming home. It is bitter sweet.

Basically the email from Betsey said that they could see how much the foster family loved him, they came together to see him off from the agency, the foster father was upset visibly after Ji-Seong left, and they sent us lots of gifts (I can not begin to thank them!!!!). They are requesting a photo asap, to let the family know he is okay. (Which if you haven't figured out I love pictures. We will have plenty!!!)

Boston

2008-10-21T23:07:00.009-04:00

We arrived this evening in Boston for the arrival of Ryan tomorrow. We have enjoyed a nice dinner at Saracino in the North End of Boston. It was sooooo yummy!!! Now we are just relaxing. The hotel we are staying in is right next to the airport. We can walk across the sky bridge to get to the airport. Ryan should be taking off from Korea in two hours!!!! And be home in less than 24 hours. You can actually watch his flight across the US from San Fransico on the net. Go to this website http://www.massport.com/logan/details_select.aspx

Email or text me and I can send you the flight information.

I can't wait for tomorrow!!!!! Only 45 minutes until tomorrow!!!

Here are some pictures of Ryan's room. I haven't finished, but that is okay. I can finish in the next couple of weeks.

Yep, that is a green dragon costume for Ryan to wear on Halloween....

The Unpredictable World of Adoption

2008-10-18T15:22:00.003-04:00

RYAN IS COMING HOME!!!!!

We recieved a phone call yesterday at 11:30 am to let us know Ryan is coming home on Wednesyda, October 22nd. To show you how unpredictable the world of adoption is, I talked to the agency on Thursday afternoon. They were telling me that he probably wouldn't come home until mid-November. I was not very happy, and was finally at the point I couldn't take it anymore. Well, even our agency didn't know on Thrusday that he was coming home until Friday morning. Adoption is so unpredictable, and it can drive you insane. So, our baby is coming home, and we can't wait. Thank you for all your support during this long journey.

I will post more, but right now all I know is that he will be coming to Boston Wednesday night. Once I know more, I will let everyone know. We don't even know how big he is right because we haven't seen any medical updates since the end of July. What an amazing journey, and I would not change a thing. It was hard yes, but well worth it.

No Call

2008-10-14T22:18:00.003-04:00

Another day has come and past, and no call.

Another day in our lives that we do not get to spend with Ryan.

New York Times Article on Korean Adoption and No Updates

2008-10-09T20:22:00.004-04:00

Someone on my Korean adoption forum shared this with the rest of us. It is a very interesting article that I would like to share with everyone. Many have asked about some of the things talked about in this article. I would be interested in everyone's response, so leave me a comment on your thoughts.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/09/world/asia/09adopt.html?_r=1&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin

It has been a month since Ryan's EP (emmigration permission), and no update. We appreciate all the support everyone is giving us!!! The wait has been pretty easy for us because we have been so busy, particularly with me being out in the field for work the last three months. But the wait is getting harder for us, and we don't know when he will be home. It could be next week and it could be December. Please continue to pray for his quick travel to us. We need positive thoughts from everyone. Please no negative thoughts!! We have no control over when he comes home, and we have not received an update about him since the end of July. I am sure you can at least try to put yourself in our shoes, and realize how much the positive thoughts are needed. Thinking negatively at this point will only make the wait feel longer and harder. I hope Ryan is home by Halloween because he has this really cute costume waiting for him!!

VISA and EP!!!!!

2008-09-10T07:37:00.002-04:00

Hi, Everyone!!!

We were finally able to get through to the National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth, NH yesterday. They let us know that Ryan's APPROVED VISA information went to the US Embassy in Korea on Monday, September 8th. THIS IS HUGE! US side of paperwork complete!!! All we had to wait for at this point is the Emmigration Permission (EP) from the Korean Government. I had talked to Betsey (from the Korea Program at our agency) via email yesterday about if she has head anything. Nothing. Ok, I can't say that I was not bummed. Both of our friends, whose sons came home in the last year, had their EP by this point in the process. Monday was two months of waiting. This morning I was emailing a family that received their referral right after us about where our paperwork was as of yesterday. Slightly complaining we had not got our EP either. I hit "send" and checked my gmail. There was an email from Betsey with the subject EP!!!! As of yesterday, Ryan has his EP from the Korean Government!!!!!!!!! THIS IS EVEN BIGGER!!!!

So what does this mean? Basically, Ryan could be coming home anywhere from 1 to 3 months from this point. PLEASE PRAY FOR 1 MONTH!!! They will need to get Ryan's passport and do the exit physical and paperwork prior to being able to come home.

Now I am thinking of the things I need to get done. The big thing is write a letter for my intent of parental leave. Better get that done today!!! I also have some packages to send to Korea for Ryan and his foster family. I will feel much better on where I am with baby things after this weekend. Sheila is having a baby shower for us on Sunday in NH.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!!!!!!

One Step Closer...

2008-09-03T20:10:00.002-04:00

Hi, Everyone!!!

Well, our Notice of Approval for Relative Immigrant Visa Petition arrived today in the mail. It was actually kind of funny that it arrived in the mail today. I have been thinking about it the last couple of days because I knew we should see it soon. Vermont immigration just rocks up here!!! I actually had not checked the mail today before we went on our walk with Abbie. I had been thinking of asking our neighbor, who works for immigration, to see if she could check for me. So, we saw our neighbors outside on our way back from the walk. I asked her if she didn't mind checking to see that it arrived. This is just something you don't want lost in the mail. She agreed. We said good night, and I grabbed the mail on the way up the drive way. Well, sure enough, the big brown envelope marked CIS was in the mail. Very exciting!!! So, I ran inside opened the package and called the neighbor to thank her, but it had arrived. I keep reminding myself I should check the mail first thing, but didn't get a chance when I got home.

I can't believe it is September already!!! I noticed at 7:42 pm tonight that is was pitch black out. I was like "What?!" to Dave. Already?! People keep reminding me that Ryan will be home before we know it. The days just fly by with being out in the field on a construction site. I am really enjoying being out in the field for the second summer. It really helps during design of things when you have been out on a construction site. Because there are somethings that look great on paper, but just aren't constructable.

I hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week!!!

End of Summer...Beginning of Fall

2008-09-02T20:24:00.037-04:00

Unfortunately, it is the end of another summer, and the leaves are already starting to change. I love this time of year where the days are nice, and the nights are perfect for sleeping. I also love seeing the leaves change, and this year is turning into a really good year for the foliage. Dave and I had a wonderful summer, and were able to relax and enjoy our friends. I wanted to post some pictures from all the wonderful times we have had this summer!!

Well, my summer started with a wonderful and wild weekend down in NJ for Amy's Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Party!!!

Love Shack Baby!

Abbie and Benson (her partner in crime) checking out the bunny on the other side of the fence...

I can only imagine the conversation between the two of them. Unfortunately, Benson and his family moved to Texas, but we did get awesome new neighbors with a friend for Ryan.

4th of July in NJ for Amy and Jeremy's Wedding...

Amy trying to enjoy a moment with her wonderful groom...

Part of the wedding party enjoying a moment of laughs.

Dave singing it out on Amy's last night of freedom. Amy and I still kicked some butt (all because Amy is a super star)!The bride and matron of honor enjoying a moment together.See I do clean up pretty nice when I want too.Husband and Wife. What a cute couple!

Our friends Michelle and Wayne's son came home from Korea in June. I hosted her Baby Shower in July. Mommy and son enjoying each other.BEST CAKE EVER!!!!Our new neighbor with her daughter just a couple months older then Ryan. My summer construction project for work. I am actually tan for a change!! There was a forest there the day before.Mozart Festival at Shelburne Farms with Alan and Yulia.

Our friends from Vermont tied the knot in a ceremony in Stowe. They had a beautiful wedding with a fall theme. We were able to catch up with old friends.

Scituate 2008....Dave and Dan synchronize swimming in the ocean.The artist at work.Creation #1 - The SphinxCreation #2 - Sea TurtleDan and Sanford deep in thought.The lighthouse in the distance.

Abbie and Dave on our hike in Stowe.The leaves already changing in Stowe during Labor Day Weekend.And my absolute favorite picture. We have started him young! It is Trickie to Rock a Rhyme.

Baby Shower at Work

2008-09-02T20:04:00.009-04:00

Last week my coworkers had a baby shower for myself and another coworker. They told me it was for my coworker and told my coworker it was for me. They made this great banner! It worked out perfect wouldn't you say, and it was absolutely wonderful.

Lynnette and I always go in on a gift and do a theme gift. Now being engineers, we always pick themes around what we do for work. For Heather, we did a "solid waste" theme, and for Jenny, we did a "water" theme. Well, in the 3.5 years I have been at the company, everyone has had girls. Well, my coworker is having a boy as well. So, we finally got to do our absolutely fun one of "Construction Vehicles". It was great!!

Ryan and I received some awesome gifts. We got this great Global Baby's Book, and this construction blanket my coworker made.

My coworker from Accounting made this wonderful cake!!! And isn't it so cute!!!

Thanks to everyone at work for the wonderful shower and gifts!!!!

Packages Arrive in Korea...

2008-08-24T20:01:00.003-04:00

Hi, Everyone!!!

Well, summer is coming to an end in Vermont. Would you believe the leaves are already changing? It is going to a great year for the leaves because of all the rain and the cool nights. Tons of red and orange out there.

We just spent a long weekend in Scituate, MA with our neighbors at the beach. Thank you to Pam and Tom. We had a wonderful time!! I will post pictures in a couple of days. We also got to meet our new friends that are also adoption from Korea through WHFC as well. We had a wonderful lunch in Boston with them, and can't wait to go visit them or have them come to visit.

While we were away we received an email from our agency with a new picture.

The foster family and Ryan received there packages. I love this picture for so many reasons. Many of the pictures I have seen of babies like this are typically just with the foster mother, but we have the entire family. This is the amazing family that Ryan is living with in Korea. I also love the fact that he is holding the picture book we sent in the package. We included pictures of the grandparents and us in the picture book. Ryan looks like he is getting bigger everyday!

Well Baby Check up from July and Legals

2008-08-13T18:23:00.004-04:00

Hi, Everyone!!!

I can't believe that it is already mid-august! Being out in the field basically until Ryan comes home is making the time fly. We received another update last week from Ryan's check up on July 29th. He is weight hasn't changed from June (17.5 pounds), but he is growing. He is now 26.5-inches long. I think he is big for his age, but he is still 50th percentile on everything. We also know that he isn't crawling yet, but he is "cute and active".

We were able to get four packages out to Ryan and the foster family last week. They arrived in Korea at the agency on Monday. DJ at Holt in Korea said that they will be very happy to receive them. I just pray that they get them soon because they usually stay at the agency until a well baby check up or the foster care social worker visits the family.

We received an email today from WHFC that our legals have arrived from Korea. This is a big step in the process. This information goes with our I-600 paperwork to USCIS for approval. This approval goes to the US Embassy in Seoul, and is needed in order for Ryan's to get a visa. So this is very important!!! The I-600 gets sent to USCIS for processing. Once the paperwork is processed, it goes to NVC (national visa center) in Portsmouth, NH. NVC will send the paperwork to Seoul. We will be able to know when the information is sent to Korea because you can contact a hotline to get updates from NVC.

The updated picture that we posted I thought was from June, but I am thinking since we received it soon after Ryan's check up in July that it is from July 29th. Everything still doesn't seem real. I am sure it will all hit me when we are making the drive to the airport to pick him up. Dave keeps mentioning how excited he is, and he can't wait for Ryan to come home.

It has been a slow start for Ryan's room, but I am hoping to get it completely painted this weekend. This way I can clean out the spare room so that my parents have some where to sleep while they take care of Abbie. We are heading for our annual trip with our friends to the beach in MA for a long weekend next week. I can't wait!!! We always have a wonderful time! It seems like we are going to be pretty busy up to the point when Ryan comes home. I am hoping that October is a slower month so we can rest prior to Ryan coming home. We already have one event (Jacob Jin-Wu's 1st Birthday i.e Dol) planned in October.

Hope everyone is enjoying the last days of summer!!!

Well Baby Check Up from June

2008-08-01T07:43:00.004-04:00

Our sweet little one is growing. We received Ryan Ji-Seong's well baby check up from June 30th. He gained over one pound and grew over one inch in 10 days!!! This makes us feel so happy to know that his transition to a new foster family is going well. He is now almost 18 pounds and 25.5 inches long. I was thinking that this is fairly large for a 4.5 month old baby (which he was at the time of the check up), however based on the growth charts for Korean children he is now 75 percentile for weight and still 50 percentile for height. So, he is pretty average.

Many have asked if we have received an updated picture. Well, based on my conversation with the Korean social worker at our agency, it isn't guaranteed that we will get one. My reaction was pretty much "are you kidding me?". Based on our friends locally and all over the Internet that have received their referrals over the last year have received updated photos. So you can only imagine how frustrating this news is to hear.

On a good note, I am heading to NH on Sunday to register with the scan gun (very dangerous) at Babies R Us. I am the kind of person who likes to physically touch everything I am picking out, which is hard to do when or only option in VT is to register online. I am totally parking in the "Expecting Mother" parking, and I really don't care what anyone else thinks!!! I am also picking out fabric for the baby quilt that my aunt will make. She makes the most beautiful baby quilts. Once she has completed it, I will post pictures.

Well, the nursery is another project I am working on. Dave and I have agreed on a color and bought a little bit of it to try on the wall. It is a like a beige color, which I know isn't an exciting color, but I want to use the blue and red as the other colors through out the room. As I mentioned earlier, the theme is fire trucks. I will post some pictures as I get further along in the project. I am just doing the boring work of sanding, patching corners, etc. right now.

Tomorrow is the VT Korean Family Picnic. We can't wait!! I am hoping that we have beautiful weather and everyone has a wonderful time. I will post some pictures from the event. I am looking forward to finally meeting the family that host the picnic every summer.

Everyone have a wonderful weekend!!!

So I put this post up this morning...and when I got back home this afternoon from the Construction Site I got an email from WHFC. Would you believe they received an updated photo today? God must have known that I needed it. OMG. I am going to be a mommy!!!!!!!!!!! I am not sure when the picture was taken, but within the last month (maybe at his well baby check up). I love his little toes!!! I can't wait to eat them up when he comes home. He still has all the hair from when he was born. Betsey told me on the phone the other day that the Korean foster family takes real pride in beefing up their boys. Well, my little man is beefing up just fine. Enjoy the picture.

Introducing Our Son!!!

2008-07-14T18:28:00.011-04:00

Thank you everyone for your good wishes and congrats!!!!

I am sorry that we have not gotten back to some people, but we do appreciate it. We have been crazy busy!!!!

Our son's Korean name is Bak Ji-Seong (more below on the meaning). Our son was born in Gunsan City (or also known as Kunsan and 군산시 in Korean) in South Korea on February 18, 2008. He was just over 7 pounds (3.4 kg) and 20.5 inches (52 cm). He was just over 16 pounds (7.5 kg) and 24 inches (64.3 cm) at 4 months old (June 19th). He is very healthy and so cute. I just want to eat up his little toes. His lips and nose are very defined. He is living with a foster family in Seoul. He is their first foster child, which is so exciting. Typically, the foster mother and father are much older with grown kids. This family is young with a 12 year old girl and 9 year old boy. When I asked for information about the family, one thing that stuck out for me was that the agency said that they love him very much. It is absolutely amazing that this family opened their home and hearts to Ji-Seong. We are so blessed!!!!

Well, you may be wondering a few things. So, another Korean lesson.

Bak is his last name, which is always written first. Bak can also be written as Pak. It is Park, and is like Smith in England. Very common last name. Ji-Seong sounds like (Gee-Sung), and means wisdom (Ji) and star (Seong). We have decided to keep Ji-Seong as our son's middle name, so he can choose to use his first name given to him by us or his Korean name. We have never agreed on boys names. I am sorry, but we aren't using the names in the poll. But it was fun, while it lasted. He just didn't think he looked like an Ian or Spencer, and it didn't sound as good with his middle name. We haven't officially decided, but started with a list of 20 names or so. And as of yesterday we were down to two.....Ryan Ji-Seong or Wyatt Ji-Seong. Today, I think we have made our decision.

The city he was born in (Gunsan) is a fishing industry town, where one of the US Air Force Base is located (See Map Below - located on western shore in the middle along the Yellow Sea). Here is the official city website: http://www.gunsan.go.kr/english/index.jsp

So, you may be wondering when is our son coming home or other things. We officially sent via Fed Ex today all of the paperwork!! Which is a big step!!!!! We were unable to accept our referral prior to July 20th. (That is the fifth month anniversary of when Ji-Seong was entered into the system at the agency.) There are two sides to the approval process. First, immigration in the US. Seond, Korean emmigration approval (typically called emmigration permission or EP). Typically, once the emmigration permission has been approved, it will be approximately one month from that date until he comes home. Unfortunately, we will not be able to travel to Korea to pick up Ji-Seong, so he will be escorted to either JFK or Boston. Typically, the agency will give you approximately one weeks notice (some times less some times more). We are thinking probably the end of October or the beginning of November if everything goes on track. So please continue to pray for us.

Many of you have asked how we are doing. Well, we are very excited as you can imagine. It hasn't hit me yet that I am going to be a mom to Ji-Seong. I think that it will when we get to hold him in our arms for the first time. It is a little surreal because the picture we have of Ji-Seong is a newborn picture. And he is now 5 months old, and probably doesn't look anything like his newborn picture. It is very difficult not knowing what your son looks like at this point or is doing everyday. Is he sitting up? Is he eating solid foods? Is he starting to make the typically baby sounds? Does he still have all that hair on his head (see picture below)? I have a good idea of what to expect when he comes home based on how our friend's sons were when they came home. BTW...Michelle, Wayne and Jacob are doing very well. Jacob has been home for one month. He did so well sitting through the Korean-American church service yesterday.

We hope that you enjoy the pictures of our son, however we ask that you not send them to other people via email. Like, I mentioned previously, Ji-Seong was approximately to 10 days old in the pictures. And the second one is a hoot!!! Thanks everyone once again!!!!

So without further wait.....drum roll please....Dave and I would like to introduce to you our new son....

Ryan Ji-Seong

It is a Boy!!!!

2008-07-08T22:22:00.002-04:00

We recieved our phone call today!!!! We are the proud parents of a little boy born on February 18, 2008. Unfortunately, this is all the information I have right now, but I will post more as it comes available. Thanks to all of you for praying for us!!!!

OMG...we are parents...

It took 253 days of waiting officially on the list!!!

Missing 12-Year Old Vermont Girl...Please Pray!!!

2008-06-30T20:15:00.005-04:00

Please pray for missing 12-year old from Vermont. She went missing on Wednesday, and is still missing. There are many other things that are going on with the family and the whole case (Check out the link below for article).

Pray for her safe return!!!!

http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=8558608&nav=menu183_2 (Amber Alert)
http://www.wcax.com/global/story.asp?s=8580434 (This is the latest news.)
:-(

Welcome Home...

2008-06-24T20:47:00.003-04:00

Congrats to our friends who came home with their son on Sunday!!!

2008-06-21T17:34:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Dave!!!

Day 234 of the Wait...

2008-06-19T13:07:00.002-04:00

We are on day 234 of waiting for our referral, and once again the wait is getting hard. I was really hoping to hear this month, however it sounds like it will be longer (possibly July or August). I emailed Betsey at the agency today (told myself to wait until Monday but couldn't wait), and she said that they have not had any referrals this month. However, they are hopeful that they will have some by the end of the month. So I guess that I don't have much to celebrate about this weekend for our birthdays. :(

On a good note....

Our friends made it to Korea safely. They met their son on Thrusday 11am Korean time, which is approximately 10 pm on Wednesday here on the east coast. They have posted some pictures, and a link to their blog is on the right. They will be arrive home on Sunday, and I can't wait to meet them at the airport with a big sign that says "Welcome Home".

With the Bad....There is Good

2008-06-13T22:32:00.002-04:00

Thanks to everyone who prayed for my friend and her family. She called me yesterday to tell me her father had passed on the night before. Please continue to keep them in your prayers during the next few weeks.

On a good note. Our friends, Michelle and Wayne, recieved there travel call yesterday!!!! They will be meeting there new son, Jin, towards the mid to end of this coming up week. We are very excited for them and can't wait to meet Jin. Please pray for their safe journey to Korea and home.

I hope that everyone is doing well. Dave and I are getting ready to enjoy our very few plans summer. Last summer was crazy!! I have so many plans around the house during this time. I want to paint the downstairs guest room, and if we get a referral soon, the babies room. I am doing ok with the wait, but not knowing if it is a boy or girl is killing me. I go to the store, and everything I want is more gender specific these days. I would even get a different crib if it was a girl or a boy. I just can't wait to find out. I promised myself that I would wait until my birthday to email Betsey to see where they are on the list.

Asking for a Prayer....

2008-06-09T19:25:00.004-04:00

I wanted to ask that everyone keep my friend and her family in your prayers. Her father is dying from cancer, and she indicated in en email today that he wasn't doing well. I can't imagine losing a father at our age, so my heart really goes out to her and her entire family. So, please include them in your prayers. Thanks....

17

2008-06-06T11:53:00.008-04:00

I hope everyone is doing well. The title today reflects how many referrals the agency saw last month. 17!!!!!!! Keep those prayers coming for ours to come soon. I sent an email to Betsey at the Korea Program to see where on the list they are. Hopefully, she will be sending me an email at some point soon. I will keep everyone posted on the lastest and greatest info. (Minor Edit since posted: Got an email from Betsey. They are into families from early October. Our date: October 29th. If you could feel the excitement in my heart and stomach right now, you would feel like you just got off a roller coaster. Keep those prayers coming.)

Well, I finally broke down and purchased the jogging stroller I had been eyeing since November. It was ten percent off, free shipping and no sales tax. I have never seen them for more than ten percent off because they are extremely popular in New England. And shipping is getting very expensive. So how could I go wrong. Also found out that my credit card was giving 3 reward points for every dollar spent at the babycenter.com where I purchased. Bonus! Here are some pics and of course Abbie helped.

Abbie is checking outside for the bunny and her 7 babies. And I love the orange color of the stroller. Cool reflective material. It was so easy to put together when it came.

I did alot of research on jogging strollers and this recieved high marks. The front wheel also swivels and locks to make it much easier. And it holds up to 70 pounds. Now, I have to make sure to get the fuzzy seat for the cold winters.

Abbie is alread to go for a walk with the stroller. She only barked once at it, and seems to be comfortable around it now. I guess there is no excuse when the baby comes home. I will have to go for runs.

Side Note...

2008-06-03T12:21:00.003-04:00

So, I am working from home today because Abbie has been sick the last two days. Poor Abbie. :(

Well, we have vista on the computer downstairs in the Kitchen, and on the desktop we have the time and weather where we live and for Seoul, South Korea as well. Today the weather is identical in both locations, however it is obviously day here and night there. How cool is that?! Okay, I am easily amused.

Yesterday, we recieved an email from the Korea Program with another fee increase effective July 1. Yikes! That is the second one since January. So, please everyone pray we get our referral prior to July 1st!!!!!

Hope all is well for everyone.

Amy's Bridal Shower and Bach. Party

2008-06-01T20:00:00.009-04:00

Here is some pics from Amy's Bridal Shower and Bach. Party...

Amy arrives to the Bridal Shower.

Amy receives a handkerchief and Jeremy's Grandmother's pin for the wedding day from Mrs. Colby (Jeremy's Mom).

Picture with Amy's mom, Amy's step mom and Jeremy's mom.

Picture with Amy and one of the flower girls.

Picture with the Bridal Party (Colleen, Jen, Amy, myself and Racine).

Love Shack Baby....

Amy getting wild on the Merry Go Round.

Picture of Colleen riding the Merry Go Round.

Day 212 Update....

2008-05-28T21:51:00.002-04:00

Hope everyone had a great and safe Memorial Day Weekend. I had a wonderful weekend and will throw some pictures up from Amy's Bridal Shower and Bach. Party soon. Just have to find the cable to Dave's Camera. We are at Day 212 of waiting for a referral of a beautiful baby from South Korea. Tomorrow is will be 7 months. Things are looking up for me in regards to the adoption. Last week I spoke with Betsey from WHFC about the change in wait, and approximately where the agency is on the wait list. There was some minor confusion with the term "application date", and when I received the email from Betsey saying that our application date is October 29, 2007 (which I have been calling my HSTK date) and our home study was sent in mid-february. I freaked out!!! But Betsey called me back (partly because she could sense the panic in my voice) to explain. The correct term is "Application Date" not "Home Study to Korea" (which everyone uses). So, we are right on track. I mentioned in a previous post that there were 10 referrals between May 1 to 19. WOOHOO!!! The remaining families in August and one family in September received those referrals. And there are fewer families in the month of September and October than August. Another WOOHOO!! Everyone at work keeps asking if we have heard anything. I keep telling them they will know when I find out because more than likely I will be at work when I do. We are getting closer, which is making it a little bit easier to wait. Now just imagine how hard it will be once we know who our baby is. Pictures and all. That wait is going to seem like a year (typically about 3 to 3.5 months wait once referral).

When It Rains It Pours...

2008-05-19T18:58:00.006-04:00

Hope everyone is doing well!!! We have had our first rainy day in weeks. Even though we really can't complain about the rain, it was kind of depressing. When I got home, the rain stopped and you could see the sun in the distance. Well, I checked my email and there was a mid-month update from WHFC on the wait times for Korea, which I knew was coming. I was expecting the wait times to jump back up, which they have. They are now 10 to 18 months from application date to the program, which really isn't much of a change for us in wait time. BUT, the best news...(as the sun has completely come out now...and I hear the song of "Here Comes the Sun" playing in my head) They had 10 referrals in 19 days!!!! They haven't had that many referrals since November. The wait time for the families was between 8 to 8.5 months. We are currently at approximately 6.5 months (203 days). So Thanks to Alison on our WHFC yahoo group for the referral dance (kind of like a rain dance) last month! Man it sure worked!!!

We got to celebrate our friend's son's 1st birthday yesterday. In Korea, the first birthday is known as the Dol. It was a wonderful mix of traditional American stuff and traditional Korean stuff. I have included a few pictures below from the brithday celebration.This picture is of the three towers that are traditionally seen at the Dol. The woman that made these towers spent many hours putting them together many years ago. The top symbol on the white tower means celebrate and is a chinesse character. The bottom symbol on the tower means first in korean. So, celebrate first. Traditionally, these towers were made with dried fruit and are placed on a table with lots of fruit in bowels. In the front of the towers in the glass dish is the traditional rice cake. Yummy!! The next picture is a close up of the rice cake.

Jiyon, who we met at the Korean Culture classes made the rice cake, and it was so yummy. The symbol on the left is celebrate in Korean and the symbol on the right is first in Korean. I know that it contains honey, but it isn't too sweet. I can't wait to learn how to make it because it is so yummy. And I hope that everyone tries it at some point.

This is the birthday boy in his hanbok given to him by his foster mother. The picture does not do it justice. Every baby comes home with a hanbok from their foster mother. During Korean culture class, we saw many different types of hanboks from the traditional to more modern. The quality of material also varies form polyester to silk.

Countdown to Amy and Jeremy's Big Day

2008-04-29T20:24:00.000-04:00

178 Days of Waiting

2008-04-24T19:44:00.002-04:00

One word I think sums up how I am feeling about the wait right now. "Ugh..." But often have to remind myself that their are people who have been waiting longer at our agency. So, I guess it could be worse. The weather has been unbelievable here in Vermont for the last two weeks. The spring type flowers don't know what to do because we went from being cold to hot in like a blink of an eye. And we haven't had much rain, but that will change next week. It is suppose to get colder and rain for several days, which won't help the already above flood stage lake. The bunnies are out in the backyard munching on the clover, which depending on Abbie's mood is okay that they are in her kingdom or not okay. We have this owl living in the area that has a 6 foot wing spand, which on occassion has scared us in the backyard at night. Abbie sees the owl, and looks at me like "No Way! I am not going out there. I will hold it all night if I have too.". The owl woke Dave and Abbie up the other night, which I somehow slept through it. And the next morning there was bunny fur in the backyard. So, Dave thought the owl got the bunny, which we were very angry about. Our poor bunny. That owl must have been really hungry because these bunnies are big and fat right now. Well, I think that the bunny got in a fight with the cat next door in our yard because Dave didn't hear the bunny make any noises when the owl supposedly took it. But turns out Dave saw two bunnies in the yard yesterday, so I think our bunnies are both safe. Thank god! Abbie was upset when she say the bunny fur in the backyard, but now she knows that both are okay and she can continue her love/hate relationship with them.

I will write more this weekend about our Korean Class No. 2 last week. Because of spring break with the school we did not have class this week. I hope everyone is doing well, and continues to enjoy this great weather.

Korean Culture Class - Week One

2008-04-10T20:38:00.003-04:00

Before I begin the discussion about our class, I would like to remind everyone that I am putting together a 100 good wish quilt for our baby. I have a blog started, however I haven't recieved one piece to date. Here is the site: http://100goodwishes4baby.blogspot.com/ Please read!!! It is not a virtual quilt. It is one that I will put together with my own two hands, and with the help of anyone else. So, please check it out. Thanks.

Dave and I signed up for a 5 week Korean Culture Class with the Green Mountain Korean Culture School for the month of April into May. The first class was great with a mix of Koreans, Korean adoptees and Adoptive Parents. We first introduced ourselves to everyone, and explained why we were taking the class. It was interesting to hear about everyones reason for taking the class, which ranged from adoptive parents saying they would like their children to learn more about the culture to one korean adoptee teenager saying that she wanted to not only learn about her culture, but meet more people that look like her. I thought that was such an honest answer, and very mature for a teenager to realize those feelings outloud. Tonight was the introduction to Korea and its culture, which was presented by a young korean college student from UVM. She did an excellent job giving the overview, and included her own person pictures from Korea. I knew some of the information she presented because I have been doing a lot of research and book reading. (Side Note: Currently reading the Discovery Channel Insight Guide for South Korea, and it is excellent. Probably helps that it has a ton of great pictures as well). I took some additional notes about things I thought I wanted to remember down the road (Side Note: If what I have written is not accurate, please let me know).

1. People in Korea eat seaweed soup on their birthdays.
2. Instead of focusing heavily on birthdays, everyone in Korea is considered a year older on the Korean New Year when they eat their soup. They joke about people eating the soup twice, and being two years older.
(If you haven't noticed, Korean's love soup and it is pretty much served at every meal along with rice and kimchi.)
3. April 5th is a holiday in Korea like our Arbor Day. After the Korean War, the landscape once filled with trees (much like the Green Mountain State), was completely bare. So, on April 5th everyone would go to the mountains to plant trees. It is no longer a holiday that the country gets off from work. The older Korean woman explained the holiday, and you could see the excitement in her face when she talked about going to plant these trees in the mountains every year.
4. May 5th is Kid's Day. It is a day off for elementary school children, and a gift is given.
5. May 8th is Parent's Day. Instead of a mother's and a father's day, the korean's celebrate the parent's as a whole. They children make paper carnations for the parents, who wear them that day. The children have a song that is sung to the parents.
6. May 15th is Teacher's Day. The children celebrate the teachers, who in their culture get much respect from the students. They also have a song for the teachers.
7. Chu-suk, which is like Thanksgiving here, is the fall harvest celebration.
8. The school year starts in March instead of September. The students go to school from March to mid-July. The get one month off, and go back to school from Mid-August to January. Graduation is in Febraury. The children use to have to go to school 5.5 days a week, however the rules were changed to 5 days a week. The children are very busy with afterschool programs until late in the evening (much like sports, piano lessons, etc.), however the parents are not driving the students. The students take buses or walk because everything is very close by.
9. Students begin to wear uniforms in middle school, and the dress code is very very very strict.

Next week, the class focuses on celebrations. They will focus on the Dol (1st birthday), which is a very important celebration.
Class three and four will focus on basic language I and II, and Class five is Bi Bim Bop. Yummy!!!

Tick Tock Tick Tock

2008-04-01T19:09:00.003-04:00

Have you ever had to wait for something or someone that you were so excited to see and you look at the clock every two seconds? It often feels like time is turning backwards instead of forwards. Or like in the movies or last day of school before summer vacation, you watch the clock and hear the tick tock tick tock in anticipation. This pretty much sums up how things are going right now. You never know what it means to wait until you have to wait with no end in site. There currently is no light at the end of the tunnel for us. Yes, the agency does their best to estimate the wait time until a referral. Currently, WHFC is estimating 6 - 10 months, however they have only seen 4 or 5 referrals in the last three months. There have been referrals of waiting children, which is awesome for those families matched!! We currently have been waiting over 5 months, and three of those we didn't move. Have you ever had to stand in one place for three months? I am not sure about you, but man my legs are getting tired of standing in place.

I know people want to be supportive, but it is a thing that is hard to make someone feel better about. So, I really appreciate everyones support this past month.

Korean Lesson for Today:

The Korean flag (or Taegeukgi) has three parts: a white background, four black trigrams, and a red and blue taegeuk (yin-yang). The flag become the official flag in March 1883 by King Gojong.
The white background means light and purity and reflects the Korean's people traditional affinity for peace. The four black trigrams are for Geon (upper left corner with three solid bars denotes heaven), Gon (lower right corner with three evenly divided bars denotes earth), Gam (upper right corner with one solid between evenly divided bars denotes water), and Li (lower left corner with one evenly divided bars between solid bars denotes fire). The yin-yang represents the dual cosmic foces of yin (blue) and yang (red). It symbolizes universal harmony, in which the passive and the active, the feminine and the masculine, form the whole. The four trigrams of Geon, Gon, Gam, and Li, which surround the yin-yang circle, denote the process of yin and yang going through a series of changes and growth. There is actual a whole protocol about flying the flag, which is very similar to the US.

Another Big Congrats!!!

2008-03-27T18:25:00.002-04:00

Congrats goes out to our other friends who are also adopting from korea up here. They were matched with a very cute little boy at the beginning of the week. It will be a couple of months before he gets to come home, but we are very excited to meet him. Dave and I are doing the Snoopy dance for them!!

Neck and Neck

2008-02-27T08:49:00.001-05:00

Holy Cow! Even more people have voted for names. It is always fun to see what people think about the names we have picked. But currently, Ian and Spencer are neck and neck. And Addison is catching up to Meredith. And finally two votes for Georgia.

It is just so beautiful out this morning with everything blanketed in white. And it is still snowing. I will have to take a picture and post for everyone who doesn't get to wake up to the beautiful site.

BTW....
Happy Birthday Amy!!! (i know a day late)
Happy Birthday Lynnette!!

Name Voting....Continues

2008-02-20T20:31:00.002-05:00

I can't believe how many people in the last couple of days have voted for names!!! It is a good run between the boys names, but Meredith seems to be pulling ahead. Did I mention how long it took Dave to figure out that Addison and Meredith were BOTH from Grey's Anatomy. Way too funny!! I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the lunar eclipse tonight. Unfortunately, it is cloudy tonight, so we won't get to see it.

Today's Topic....Korean Names

A Korean name begins with the family name followed by the given name. There are currently only 250 Korean family names used, and the most common are Kim, Lee and Park. The family name is typically a single syllable and the given name is two syllables. The given name is made up of a generational name syllable and an individual distinct syllable. The generational name syllable is shared in South Korea by all extended family members of same generation. One thing that is very interesting is that married couples typically keep their given name, and the children use the father's family name. I know more and more people in the United States that are doing this, such as Dave and myself. The usage of names in traditional Korean society is very important. Generally using someones given name in the Korean culture is considered rude. There are various "rules" that govern what you call someone.

Day 111....And some culture...

2008-02-17T17:17:00.002-05:00

Day 111 of waiting....

Wide Horizons updated the wait time at the beginning of this month to 6 - 10 months for referral, which is very exciting!!! Some people have asked what that means, what is a referral and etc. When we are matched with a baby in Korea by Holt International (who is like the mother agency of our agency), we will recieve paperwork about the baby and photos. This is called your referral. Our Home Study to Korea (HSTK) date is October 29, 2007. That date starts the clock for the 6 to 10 months of waiting. Once we have reviewed our referral and completed the paperwork, we can accept our referral of our baby. Then the clock starts again. This time we will be waiting to travel to pick up our baby in Korea or have our baby escorted to the United States. This wait time is 3 to 7 months, and varies depending on how quickly paperwork is processed (particularly immigration and emmigration paperwork). We are fortunate that we live in a state that does not have a ton of immigration issues, so the paperwork on our side gets done very quickly. Thanks CIS in Vermont!!! What might be a problem is the Vermont background check because they have recently changed their policies. (btw...it is exactly the same process of fingerprinting and FBI check as immigration) It was taking a couple of weeks, but now is taking 10+ weeks. So, we have to keep a really close eye on our expiration date (only good for one year) and start that paperwork much much sooner.

So to put it in a nut shell. If we are lucky, we could only have 70 more days left of waiting (a little over two months). Based on the fact that last month (January), there really was only one referral (frustrating!!!) and we haven't heard of any this month yet (even more frustrating), we think that we will get our referral some time in May or June. This adds another good 30 days to our wait (at least). And if we have to wait for 10 months, that would add another 192 more days of waiting.

PLEASE keep us in your prayers for a quick wait. The wait really hasn't been that bad, but it does have its days. It is going to get hard once we have a picture of our baby and know information about our baby. Like they have two bottom teeth. Things that we wish we could be there for and are missing.

We thought it would be nice to add a little something about Korea and its culture to the blog. So today We are going to add a little something with each blog.

Today's Little Something...

Korea is much like Vermont because it has the four seasons and many mountains. Korea is a mountainous peninsula extending south-southeast from the northeastern part of the Chinese mainland. Throughout the country, mountains are not high, rarely exceeding 1,200 meters, but they are found almost everywhere. The contrast between winter and summer is striking. Winter is bitterly cold and is influenced primarily by cold Siberian fronts. Summer is hot and humid due to the maritime pacific high. The transitional seasons, spring and autumn are sunny and generally dry. Temperatures in all seasons are somewhat lower than those at the corresponding latitudes in other continents, such as North America or Western Europe. The temperatures in Seoul, which is in the latitude of Richmond, Va., are closer to those in New York which is located 500 kilometers (300 miles) farther north from the latitude of Seoul.

Happy Korean New Year!!!!

2008-02-07T07:12:00.000-05:00

Today is the New Year throughout many asian countries, which many of us call is the Chinese New Year. So Happy New Year! I have included some information (or websites) about the Korean New Year below. Hopefully, we will get to celebrate the New Year next year with a new baby.

The 2008 Lunar New Year celebration (Seol) is this week, February 6-8.
2008 is the year of the Rat, which in Asian tradition protects and spreads prosperity. Along with Chusok (the fall harvest festival), Seol is the most important of traditional Korean holidays.

http://www.clickasia.co.kr/about/h0101.htm
http://www.familyculture.com/astrology/rat.htm

100 Good Wishes Quilt

2008-02-03T00:20:00.000-05:00

Hi, Everyone.

I hope that everyone is doing well. I can't believe it is February already, and before we know it mud season (spring to everyone who isn't in Vermont) will be here soon. We are starting a 100 Good Wishes Quilt (Click on the link below for more information). Thanks.

http://100goodwishes4baby.blogspot.com/

Congrats...

2008-01-25T20:51:00.000-05:00

We would like to wish a big CONGRATS!!!! to our friends today. Their son came home from Korea this evening. Dave and I are doing the snoopy dance for them, and can't wait to join the parenting ranks with them someday.

Day 46

2007-12-13T22:11:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone is doing well and getting ready for the holidays. It is snowing today in Vermont again. So far we have had 18 inches in December, and it isn't even winter yet. Okay, I love the snow so much, but totally sucks when you have to drive an hour each way. Abbie just loves the snow. She always comes in looking like a snow man, which means she is just covered head to toe with snow. And she hates to get wiped off with the towel. So usually we don't get it all, and have to chase after her with the towel. Eventually she gives in, but man is she stubborn.

Well, it has been 46 days of being on the "official" waiting list for a beautiful baby from Korea. So far the wait has not been too bad, but I have been keeping myself busy with reading books about attachment in adoption, korea and baby items. I have been investigating all the crib, stoller and car seat companies, and looking at all the cute baby stuff available these days. Amazes me that our parents survived without all that stuff. We have become good friends with two other couples that are adopting from Korea through the same agency. One couple is on the tail end of the process (their son could come home any day), while the other is jsut about to get on the waiting list. We are so lucky to have met these couples because we can talk about adoption and truely know how the other person is feeling about the process. Our friends, whose baby is coming home soon, just had there baby shower last weekend, and recieved some great gifts. One of her coworkers made her a beautiful knit blanket, and a family friend who travels to Korea for work all the time gave her a beautiful traditional korean outfit. The detail was amazing. And of course they got the usual stuff too. We are just so excited for them.

So a little update of what is happening on the Korean adoption front....

Things over the last few months have been speeding up, and please pray for us that it continues. We recieve monthly updates at the beginning of each month from our agency for the Korean program. It talks about any changes in requirements, etc, and how many referrals and babies came home the previous month. The agency is still telling us 10 to 13 months for referral and 3 to 7 months for travel. However, that isn't what has been happening over the last few months. (Please don't let me put my foot in my mouth by saying this next part. Because we all know how that works.) At the end of September the next referral date was Febraury 2. At the end of October the next referral date was March 26. (Side note....our friends got their referral in October and their date was after the 26th...so it jumps around a little) At the end of November the next referral was June 2. In November, the agency recieved 18 referrals!!! And 14 babies came home. That is HUGE!! And the average wait for referral has been about anywhere from 5 to 8 months. (And did I ask already for you to pray for us.) The cool thing about last month which is so rare for Korea is that there were 12 girls and only 6 boys.

Name Vote

2007-12-13T21:31:00.000-05:00

I was so excited to see that so far 6 people have voted for names. We would love to see more people vote.

SO VOTE......

OFFICIALLY ON WAIT LIST!!!

2007-10-29T15:32:00.000-04:00

We are officially on the wait list today!!!!!

Wide Horizons is still telling us 10 to 13 months, so pray for us that it will be quicker. This means that there is the potential that we will have our baby home before next xmas. How exciting!!!

Immigration Approval - Finally!!!!

2007-10-28T16:13:00.000-04:00

WE ARE APPROVED!!!!!

I am sure I told some of you that we thought immigration approval (based on their letter they sent) wouldn't happen until the end of November. I have been moping to the mailbox everyday since we went for fingerprinting on the 17th. Well, I was walking to the mailbox on Friday, and talking on the phone to Jeremy. I open the mailbox checking the mail before taking it out, and what did I see. A return address with CIS. OMG!!!!! I went from 0 to 60 in one second. Poor, JR. I was like screaming into the phone. I was so excited. Of course, it was 4:45 pm on Friday. Only my luck. The agency closes at 4:30 or so.

So what does this approval mean....

We don't official get on the waiting list until our agency has this paperwork. Then we are official on the waiting list for a baby. Hopefully, we will be on the list on Monday. I had been procrastinating with the photos for the dossier, so I rushed around Saturday morning to get them together. Lucky we have a Fed Ex office here in town and they are open on Saturday. I had two options for it to get there Monday morning. 8 am for $50 or 10:30 for $17. Tough decision. I think I can survive if it gets there at 10:30. I will pdf the approval first thing tomorrow morning when I get into the office.

Exciting...Exciting....

We have become friends with this couple also adopting from Korea that just got their referral last week. They didn't think they would see it until January. So things are speeding up, however I don't want to get too excited about that. Things could slow down again. It is amazing how all the countries adoption process can affect all the other countries.

I hope everyone is doing well.....TTYL....

And Where Have We Been?

2007-09-29T17:21:00.000-04:00

Well, I am finally logging back on. I can't believe it has been some time since I wrote an update. Things are slowly down here in Vermont, and hopefully I can keep updating more frequently.

On the adoption homefront things have been moving along....

The Home Study has been approved and getting sent to CIS (Immigration) sometime next week. We sent our CIS (Form I-600A) paperwork to the St. Albans office on Friday. They will send us our fingerprint appointment sometime in the next two weeks. We get those fingers printed (which will be twice in that time frame because I have to get one for work) and everything will go smoothly. Hopefully, we will have our official approval (Form I-171H - Notice of Favorable Determination) in the next three weeks. Once I get that formed either faxed or pdf over to the Korean Program at our agency, we will be officially waiting. Right now, we are hearing that it is about a 10 month wait. So, me being the scientist that I am, we would see potentially a referral around the end of August. So, everyone keep your fingers crossed.

Today, Dave and I attended this awesome workshop (which was requried as part of the Hague Convention) on Trans-Racial/Trans-Cultural Parenting. It provided us with a ton of great information, and things to think about. And another added bonus. It was local, so we met a bunch of great people from our area that are adopting from Korea. They all ranged from waiting to travel/escort to right were we are in the process. We had been looking for other parents to network with that were adopting from Korea in the area. It just makes this experience even more comforting to know that other people can understand the process and things that happen along the way. Hopefully some new friends.

Our summer travel adventures...

I think we traveled some where almost every weekend this summer. Are we tired? Yes. However, it was great at the same time. Here are some photos of our adventures...

Maine....

Amy and Jeremy's Visit....and the BIG ENGAGEMENT....

Susie's Bridal Shower...

JR's Surprise 30th...

And...Let me also say how AWESOME my husband is....This was the first year that I got a card for my anniversary...not just one but TWO...and he actually took the time to pick them out...AND...I got the best gift ever....something I had been wanting to get...but always got put on the back burner...a new canon EOS digital Rebel XTI camera....OMG I LOVE IT...now I just have to take a class to learn how to take better pics....I bet you can't guess what I will be doing as part of the waiting this year....LOL

Well, I hope everyone is well and enjoying the fall.

Double Happiness

2007-07-02T14:53:00.000-04:00

Well, we had a wonderful weekend in Montreal with our neighbors (Matt, Rhamanda, Sue and Kerry). We went for Dim Sum at a real chinese restuarant (we were the only non-chinese people) that Sue (who is original from China) had picked out. The food was awesome!!!! And surprisingly very healthy. Not all that fried and grease food you find at most Chinese resturants. The symbol on the wall means "Double Happiness". I believe that symbol will bring Dave and I double happiness, however I am not sure what that means yet.

Afterwards, we went on a boat ride on the St. Lawerance River, which was nice. I noticed the Science Center has the Body World exhibition until September, so Dave and I are going to make our way back up to see that some time in the near future. Maybe we will get to go when Jeremy and Amy come to visit.....

So, the other night Dave and I sat down to talk about names. We always have girls names picked out, however can never agree on a boys name. Our agency has a strict policy about gender selection and due to us being first time parents we can not select unless we are going with China. So, looking at this in a statistic fashion (you know me I have to break it down in a science/math form...LOL) Korea typically has more boys for adoption and Kazakhstan as well. I just had to laugh becuase most of these names were ones I have menioned to dave before, and he didn't like them.

Here is the list:
Ian
Origin: Hebrew/Gaelic
Meaning: God is forgiving
Form of John
Spenser
Origin: French
Meaning: Someone who gives out goods
Calvin
Origin: French
Meaning: Bald

Depending on what our babies name is at the time of the adoption, we will keep one of their names as their middle name. But I really like...

Spenser Young
(Young - Korean name meaning prosperity or everlasting)

OR

Ian Spenser or Ian Young

And for girls...

Meredith or Meridith or Merideth
Addison or Addyson

Well, I wish everyone double happiness....

So How Are You Today?

2007-06-28T12:35:00.000-04:00

Notes from Abbie:

So, how is everyone doing today? Can I give you big kisses? Do you want to come over and play? My mommie and daddie love me!!! Are you sure you don't want big wet kisses from me? Aren't I the most beautiful puppy in the world?

(Click on my picture to make it bigger)

quick update

2007-06-25T21:16:00.000-04:00

Dave had a great 30th birthday with a nice dinner with friends at the Inn at Shelburne Farms. Excellent Wine, Food and Friends.

I had a great birthday at the Reba concert. She was just so much fun on stage. Pictures to follow.

Social Worker first visit with us went well. Next one is on the 10th. Individual interviews at the house. I have a ton of cleaning and putting things away. I have no idea how people are completely moved in in like one month. We are still unpacking and organizing.

Abbie had a great weekend at my parents with us, and Uncle Alan babysat tonight during our social worker visit. Thanks, Alan!!!!

Hope everyone is doing well.

Happy 30th Birthday to Dave.

2007-06-21T12:30:00.000-04:00

So, today is my sweet baboo's 30th birthday!!!

He is all upset because I won't tell him where we are going for dinner tonight.
:P

He keeps trying to get it out of me. And I just get the evil laugh going.

I am just so blessed to have a great husband.

We were suppose to be heading to Maine this weekend, but plans got changed. I won tickets to see Reba McEntire (7th row) on Saturday. My mom is actually going to go with me, as well as my cousin and aunt, which will be great to have some girl time without the boys.

Some of you might be wondering about the teddy bear date thing at the top. Well, I have seen it on many peoples sites, and really liked it. You can change the ticker and marker, etc. We have been talking about adoption since September 2006, and were ready to head down the path for China. But Dave wanted to wait until he had graduated (May 2007) and the wait for China has become extremely long!!! So, we decided to look at Korea. Korea is very different because they have five (?) major agencies that they work with. Other agencies are under these five, and you can only work with ones authorized to work in your state. (China has 96 certified agencies in the US) That would be Wide Horizons for us,which works with Holt International (they have been in Korea since the Korean War). I started our ticker on May 4th of this year because that is the day I met with Barb from Wide Horizons. I really think it was fate that we were suppose to meet that day to talk about adoption and Wide Horizons. (BTW...that is the agency we are working with...can't remember if I have mentioned it before) She just happen to be coming to Burlington (her office is in Bedford, NH where I use to live), and I just happen to have a vacation day for Dave's graduation. We talked for over 2 hours!! She was so helpful and friendly. She actually got me to considering looking at other countries besides just Korea. We are looking at Kazakhstan, Korea and Domestic. I have been really focusing on Kazakhstan because I know the least about that country. IT IS AMAZING what I have been finding out, and it really is much different then I thought. I knew it was part of the old USSR, however I had no clue where it is located. Wide Horizons has only had this program 2 or 3 years, however the coordinator has been working with this country for some time and lived there for 5 years or so. I will have to find some links, so if you are interested to see where it is located and some quick facts about the country.

Well, better head to my meeting.

Laters....(As Dorinda would say)

We are on our way...

2007-06-19T20:31:00.000-04:00

Well, it only took almost a week for our home study social worker and I to finally catch one another. We had been planning phone tag this whole time. We have our first appointment with her on Monday at Starbucks. I just have to say how much I LOVE the fact that our social worker only works nights and weekends. How wicked awesome is that!!

The first appointment with the social worker is with both of us, the second and third are individual, and the finally is the home visit. Guess who is going to Doggie Day Care that day, so she is tired when the social worker comes to visit the house. I figure I have about two or three weekends to get the house in order, and boy am I going to need it. Once all the paperwork and visits are complete, which will take about a month or so, the social worker completes the home study. Means one step closer to bring home a baby!!!!

This next year is going to be really busy, which will make the wait fly by.

1. Gone two weekends in July
2. So far two different reservations at the D&E B&B in August
3. Work is suppose to pick back up in September (so going from 1st to 5th in 2.0 seconds)
4. Susie's Wedding in October
5. FE Exam for me in October
6. Holiday Season
7. 1/2 Marathon and Disney in January
8. Maybe Texas in Feb. for Meg's 30th
9. Didn't mention Andreas and Daria's Wedding in Cyprus in May
10. Sometime next year Amy and JR's Wedding
11. Def another Girl's Weekend....when and where? Who knows?
12. Decorate a baby's room....but not until it gets close to traveling...Any suggestions of decoration ideas for either a boy or a girl?

And the Biggest of them all...no offense Susie and Amy.....sometime traveling next year to pick up our little baby boy or girl...

Now I am sure their are other people who have a ton more going on then we do...but that is alot...

I can't not express the joy I feel when I think about bringing home our baby. I want to scream from the roof tops!!!

Well, better get to bed...Em

Our First Blog Ever

2007-06-18T21:23:00.000-04:00

Dave and Em at Disney.
Abbie concentrating hard on not letting anyone get the frisbee.

Well, we are finally venturing into the blog world. Emily has read so many adoption blogs that it is about time we start our adoption blog journey.

Quick Introduction:

Hi, we are Dave, Em and Abbie (our 14 month old puppy).
We have begun our adoption process to bring home a health baby, which is extremely exciting and scary at the same time.