Morning update

Tuesday morning here - Monday night at home. I can officially say Happy Birthday to Rebecca.

He slept pretty well all night. He sleeps better when he is laying right next to me. He woke up a few times but never fussed. We are very amazed with him considering how hard it was last night.

Here is our flight info again.

We arrive at our "home" airport on Tuesday evening (4/1) at 11:07 p.
We will arrive on Delta fight 824 from Atlanta (leaving Atlanta at 9:45p.)

Our entire itinary is:
leave Tuesday (Korea time) 6:05 p.m. on Korea Airlines
arrive Tuesday in Atlanta (Atlanta time) 7:00 p.m.
leave Tuesday (Atlanta time) 9:45 p.m. Delta
arrive Tuesday (home time) at 11:07 p.m.

Pray for our safety and also pray for a easy flight with Won-u. Pray for our first night home with both Lacie and Won-u and that Won-u is content enough for me to have some 1:1 time with Lacie to put her in bed.

Lacie, it is almost time and we will see you soon! Baby Paul is going to be so lucky to have you for a big sister. We are So so so proud of you. Be good!

Love to all -
Vonda, John, and Baby Won-U

He is ours!

3:00 - ish pm Korea time:

Sweet Won-U is ours forever.

At 1:30 we went to the social welfare office so we could have a quick tour of the baby reception area. When we went in, our foster mom was waiting there for Won-U to have his last physical. She seemed happy to see us and of course we were happy to see her. We left her on the first floor and went upstairs. When we came back in from our tour of the SWS baby reception area Won-U's foster dad was there with his granddaughter. Won-U and his Umma was already upstairs waiting for us.

We had about 30 minutes to visit and fill out paperwork. Baby Won-U was charming and also scared. He knew something was up. They asked me to take him because they wanted all 3 of us to go meet the Director/President of the SWS. We took pictures with the President and then he gave us a gift. We then went back to the foster parents and said our last good byes. At that point Won-U looked like a deer in the head lights. He could tell something was up. We then parted ways and took him back to our hotel. It has been pretty hard on him and he cried for a several hours. We know that is a good sign. Since he attached to his foster mom and loved her that much then we know he can do the same with us.

LATER (11 p.m. Korea time)

He sleeps! Oh, the poor little guy. We brought him to the room and he sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. The only thing I could do was hold him and love on him. After about 30 minutes, I put him on my back in the carrier (Thanks Terri) and he eventually fell asleep. (The foster mom said that is how she got him to sleep for naps - so I thought it would be a good idea.) He slept about 20 minutes. He woke up and cried. I know he misses his family. He finally began to play with some toys and even began to play with us and giggled awhile. Our friend Tamm came over with another friend. They have both adopted Korean children and they have both lived in Korea for a long time. They were great. They know enough Korean that they taught us some things to say to Won-U so we can try and soothe him. He also ate some yogurt and some of the Gerber fruit puffs. He liked them.

When they left, Won-U began to cry again. Poor fellow. I finally got up and again paced with him. He took a few ounces of bottle and fell asleep - FINALLY. For awhile I cried with him because I knew he hurt so bad. He was scared and missing his Ohmah.

Tamm and her friend took John out for dinner and John brought food back for me. Both my boys are asleep now. We pack tomorrow and head out. We arrive on Tuesday night "home" time - 11:00. Check flight info already posted.

We will try and post again tomorrow before we leave.

Lacie - only one more day after today. Baby Paul is excited to see you. You have been such a good girl! WE are so so proud of you! Have fun at gymnastics tonight! We love you so much.


Here are photos of our day:

Last bottle with foster mom:


Having a hard time - trying back carry:


He finally fell asleep:


Snacking:


Finally asleep:


Pray it all goes well when he wakes up in the a.m.

Love to all - and we can't wait to see everyone!

Vonda

Asian diet

I have eaten Korean food solely now for four going on five days. It has been fun and a tasty experience. Today when I sat down to eat my Bibimbap - I just could not eat. I think I hit my fill. Although I had not eaten much all day - I was suddenly not hungry. It is like - I can't describe this - except I know when it happened in China. And in China we were there two weeks - for now I can say it is an Asian diet - but I am not staying long enough in Korea to where it will affect me with major weight loss. Oh but to wear some old "new" clothes again.

We have not done or seen all we wanted to. The one day of rain sort of blew our plans out. We are going to try to make it to the Hanok Korean village tomorrow before we get baby Won-u for good. We get him at 2:00 - so from about 9:00 a.m. till 12:00 noon we can do a few things.

We did get the shopping done I wanted to and then some. WE acted like we were on vacation and buying souveniers. WE wanted to buy gifts for others - but things are so expensive here. We barely got things for us - which are really for Won-u and his wife if he ever marries AND or for him if he does not and is interested in having the items. Many of the things are probably things for decoration. We did get three Hanboks today. Those are traditional Korean outfits. We got one for Won-U when he is about 6 or 7. We got one for Lacie to wear now and it should last a few years. And I got one. John did not want one - I can only imagine why not. (They appear a bit un-masculine to an American man.) WE will get our family portriats in them, like we did when we came home from China and wore our Chinese dresses. I did not have to buy a "baby's first birthday" outfit for Won-U since his foster mom already did. She also had his first birthday portraits done. They gave us the original 8X10's. They had to have been expensive. We took a picture of the picture. It is such a special gift to us:


Tomorrow we get the little fellow. We get him at 1:00 a.m. home time. That will be 2:00 p.m. Monday Korea time. If it goes well enough, I will try and post some pictures. Please pray for him - for he will indeed do some major grieving. It is going to break my heart too to see him missing his Umma and also to see her and his foster dad say good bye to him.

Here are some more pictures:

Here is the front of the SWS (Social Welfare Society) guest house and baby reception area. WE are staying here. We will tour the reception area tomorrow before we see Won-U again. This is where he started out. We have heard young infants crying all week. they are very young babys too.


This is a parking "garage." The cars drive in and then it will rotate like a Ferris Wheel - and another car will drive up and park, etc. When they are ready to leave home, they just call their car down. It is interesting. AND look at how they conserve space?


Vonda and John at a park right next to Insadong.


The little store where we bought our Hanboks:


Do you recognize something odd about this map?


Always - one of my favorite places:


Good night to all - we will do an update as soon as possible tomorrow afternoon.

We love and miss our friends and family ESPECIALLY our sweet little Lacie. It is just a few more days Lacie! You have one night with MawMaw and then go to school and then go to gymnastics. Then you have another night with MawMaw and then go to school. AND later that night after dinner you will get to come see mommy and daddy at the airport (and baby Paul too!)
We love you and can't wait to see you and hold you and hug you and kiss you! We are so very proud of you!

Love - Mommy and Daddy

a/k/a Vonda and John

Coming Home Details

For any brave night owls who just can't wait to see us:
We arrive at our "home" airport on Tuesday evening (4/1) at 11:07 p.
We will arrive on Delta fight 824 from Atlanta (leaving Atlanta at 9:45p.)

Our entire itinary is:
leave Tuesday (Korea time) 6:05 p.m. on Korea Airlines
arrive Tuesday in Atlanta (Atlanta time) 7:00 p.m.
leave Tuesday (Atlanta time) 9:45 p.m. Delta
arrive Tuesday (home time) at 11:07 p.m.

We get Won-u on Monday at 2:00 and have him for an over night. Pray for him as he begins his grieving and adjusts to us. Pray for our safety and also pray for a easy flight with Won-u. Pray for our first night home with both Lacie and Won-u and that Won-u is content enough for me to have some 1:1 time with Lacie to put her in bed.

Patricia - if you get this: I am very bummed that we won't get to see each other in Atlanta. That would have been SOOOOOO cool. Can you change your flights? (just kidding)

Lacie just a few more days and we will see you soon! Baby Paul is going to be so lucky to have you for a big sister. We are So so so proud of you. Be good!

Love to all -
Vonda

Update

It is 5:30 in the a.m. Sunday for us (4:30 p.m. Saturday home time). Neither of us can sleep. I talked to Lacie earlier and she asked when we were coming to get her. It made me cry after we hung up. I held it together when we talked on the phone. I knew she would miss us and I know that is healthy - but in some ways I hoped that she would not. But except for a few moments of missing us, she has done remarkably well - according to friend Bette. Bette has thought Lacie was perfect - and having her 24 hours for three days has lifted the veil somewhat. Our daughter is VERY strong willed and and determined and will let you know verbally. Otherwise, she really is good. Thank you so much Bette, Mike and Noah for helping care for our girl. We know she is in awesome care and she is loved. Bette has sent pictures of the kids playing and reading and just having a wonderful time.

We did not do much Saturday due to rain. We went to COEX to the book store and got Won-U some books with both Korea/english. We got a map of Korea (we got one of China for Lacie) and we ate a lot of fun food. The food court at Hyundai Department Store was pretty fascinating. There was a "fast food" section and then areas with food vendors but not so "fast food."
Afterwards we contacted another adoptive mom (Tamm) and her daughter and their friends for dinner. Tamm is part of retired military family and is actually back in Korea for a LONG visit trying to adopt another child but not through the traditional U.S. agency. She has lived here MANY years, considers Korea home.

Anyway, we had some authentic Korean food somewhere off the Express Bus Terminal exit in Gangnam. We had to transfer trains and survived.

Here is a list of foods we have tried since we have been in Korea:
On airplane we had Bibimbap. It was veggies and rice and red hot paste and sesame oil - mixed together with seaweed soup. The Bibimbap was good - the seaweed soup was well, seaweed soup.

Our friend Chris told me that on Friday we ate:
Andong Jjim Dalk (Pronounced "Jim-dock"). It was an entire 1/2 chicken and potatos and carrots - mixed in a mildly hot soupy sauce. We at with rice. It was very good.
Then we had a doughnut thing called Hot-dduk. It was GOOD.
We then went to Myeongdong and had Mandu (dumplings) and Kal-gook-soo (noodle soup).
In Insadong, we tried tea.
We returned to Gangnam and had Galbi (ribs) with his girlfriend Hana. It was a special kind -- very thin strips (like bacon) instead of a full rack. Hana actually cooked it over a open grill on our table. It was terrific. After it was cooked we put a strip in a lettuce leaf with Kimchi and other "veggie sides" and ate them. Ummmmm - probably my favorite.

Some observations:
When out an about on the street, Koreans will typically not look at us in the eyes.
When walking around - it is very normal to "get where one is going" and if it involves pushing ahead, walking in front of us, etc. That is ok, and not rude. In fact we had to begin doing the same things to survive and it is not considered rude on our behalf. It does feel uncomfortable though to cut someone off trying to board a train.
Bowing is a sign of respect in greeting here and has become almost natural to us now.
It cost us about $4500 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Yes, $4500. That is about $4.50 dollars. It is finally normal hear when purchasing something, "$30,000" (only $30 U.S.)
A few Koreans will approach us to practice english. I have enjoyed that.
They are very kind and if we look lost, they will offer help. We look lost ALOT - imagine how many people we have met.

About the plumbing: John observed that they do not have "elbows" in their pipes. Therefore the sewer gas is smelled off and on. It sort of scared us at first in our room - we thought it was natural gas leaking. UGH.

gotta run - will post our flight info in the next post. No pictures this time but will try and get one or two up next. Yesterday we took very few pics - I feel horrible we did not do sight seeing - today will be the same but we will try and brave it anyway.

Love to all:

Vonda and John

I really do know how to spell. I found a huge "typo" in my last post. If you have not found it - do not worry - that means you must be as bad as me in the spelling department or you must as excited with me!

Any other "typos" I cannot be held responsible for. I usually draft on "word" and then copy to the blog. I am having to draft everything directly to the blog in Korea.

Today was an awesome day!

Besides seeing the baby - it was beautiful - beautiful weather and well, just awesome. Our friend Chris from home lives in Seoul. He is a teacher of ESL. It was sort of a surprise for us that he lives here and only one subway station from our guest house. He has shown us around, how to take the bus, how to shop, we went to a lot of fun places to eat and a tea house. He is a history buff so he shared with us many stories when we would come across areas with history. Which I would venture to guess is much of S. Korea.

He leaves for a short vacation on Sat. a.m. so we only got one day with him. We feel well prepared to see and shop more tomorrow.

I think Korea is beginning to grow on me - China did the same thing. I think a lot of it has to do with seeing our little guy, meeting his awesome foster parents and knowing we will always have a connection with this wonderful country - and always have family here now - all those who have had a part in his life from day one AND loved our guy till he is placed with us.

Lacie: I am so glad to hear your voice when I call. AND I am so glad you are having fun with Noah. We love you so much. Noah, thank you for helping to take care of our girl.

Here are some additional pics of our day:

Tea with foster family and social worker:



Won-U's favorite "pillow" (it comes home with us):



Our friend Chris in the Tea house in Insadong:

Meeting Won-u

The day was absolutely unbelievable. We met the Social worker this morning at 9:30a. She is so nice. We immediately got into a van and went off to see Won-u and his foster family. The foster dad - a Christian minister met us on the first floor of their apartment building. Both foster mom and foster dad were absolutely charming. We feel like we have new friends. They served us fruit and rice pastries and a warm juice and coffee. Of course I could not sit long - I had to talk and play with Won-u. I hope it did not appear rude. The foster dad prayed for our meal. While he prayed he prayed for us, for Lacie and Won-u. He prayed for us as a family and our future and prayed for our trip back to the states. They thought it was sweet that Lacie has been praying for them as well at night.

He loves to play and giggle and throw things. Oh, and Bette - he puts EVERYTHING in his mouth!

Our little guy took to us pretty fast. And although he took to us pretty quickly - he kept his Umma in his sight the whole time. It is obvious they love him and very obvious he loves them. It will be a very hard transition for him on Monday at 2:00. That is when we get him for good.

Lacie - your baby Paul wants to meet his big sister soon. You are going to be a wonderful big sister. Mommy and daddy love you and miss you so so much! We are so proud of you.

Here are a few pictures:

Playing with mommy:


Mommy already stealing kisses:


Daddy and Won-u


Silly boys:


Two sets of parents:

We are in Korea!

We are HERE! The trip was uneventful until we arrived at the airport. My thoughts or summary of the day or last of the last 24 hours:

-Atlanta airport has the friendliest employees working at every place in the airport from Starbucks to Fridays to the news paper stands etc. They all smiled and acted like they liked their jobs.

- For the 4 hour layover in Atlanta we walked several laps of Concourse E and looked in all the glass display windows that I call the museum of "Buyer Beware." (showing things that people tried to bring into the US including animal skins, etc.)

- 15 hours on a plane one way strait to Korea. What day is it now?
- three movies, two documentaries and one episode of Everybody loves Raymond amounts to about 7.5 hours - what happened to the rest of the time.

- Korea Air is the cleanist and most friendly airline we have flown. Their RR's were always clean and organized and wiped down, etc. It was nice.

-Arriving in Korea was stressful and unfortunately eventful. UGH.
I think there were huge V's on our heads today. We fell subject to our first scam - or not really scam but well taken advantage of - the SECOND we arrived in Seoul. $130 later we are licking our wounds. MOre later

I gotta run. I am sleeping as I write.

More tomorrow and we will hopefully send pics of baby.

I have not slept but a few restless plane hours since waking Tuesday a.m. I am wasted to say the least. We see the baby tomorrow a..m. Which will be about 11:00 p.m. tonight your time.

Practicing before our trip

I just tried to put together a picture video with a song - it is too short to get the whole song, but here is a bit of Lacie's March '08. Gymnastics, snow and Easter.



She is just too cute!

Vonda

A Year of Funnies

We left Lacie’s journal off about a year ago. We have been real busy and always had good intentions to update – but never did. I have felt guilty. We are back now with a family blog now. Anyway, here is a few of the funny things Lacie has said over the last year. The most recent is first with Lacie at 3.5 years old. Keep in mind that the further you get down the page, the younger she was . . .

3/16/2008
Lacie asked me, "Mommy, can I keep you?" (OH HOW SWEET!) My response, "Oh yes Lacie! You can keep me. And mommy and daddy will always keep you."

2/20/2008
At night before bed I asked Lacie who she wanted to pray for and she said, "my pretty precious mommy. Tause she's been grumpy to me."

2/14/2008
On Valentines day, John looked Lacie and said, "Lacie, do you know how much you mean to me?" Lacie replied, "I not mean to you daddy. I dood to you."

1/31/2008
At night after we read her "Bible book" and sang her three favorite songs, "Jesus Loves me," "Jesus loves the little Children," and "Angels watching over me," Lacie said, "Mommy, I love Jesus." I responded and told her that Jesus ALSO loves her very much.

The next night after our Bible Book reading and our songs, Lacie looked up really serious and reverent and said, "Mommy, I love my panties."

1/15/2008
Lacie did something that was a little defiant and I told her she needed to say she was sorry to mommy or she was going to have to sit in Time Out. Lacie responded, "I tan't. My mouth is broke."

12/2/07
Lacie was trying to process that she will one day be big like mommy AND that once I was little like her. She wanted something one day that she could not have. I told her when she was big like mommy she could have it. She responded, "When I'm Bonda?"

She thinks that when she gets big she will be me.

Around the same time when I was putting her pull-up on, she asked me, "when you were Lacie, did you wear pull-ups?" I told her that she will always be Lacie. And I have always been Vonda.

11/17/07
At night Lacie said to me, “Mommy, you a big people. You a bery big people. Tause you my mommy. I love my mommy.”

11/13/07
After dinner Lacie and I were snuggling on the couch watching an old Barney video - and Lacie wanted me to stretch my legs out on the couch next to her instead of me sitting with feet on floor. So, she said to me, "Mommy, put your big legs here." EEEEEEEEE gads! In comparison – I guess they are big.

9/11/07
She was really getting into smells "snells." She "snells everything from food to feet to whatever. She is always asking, "what’s that snell, mommy?" One evening when John came home from Mike Linnig’s (seafood restaurant), she gave him a big hug and told him, "daddy you snell." John asked what he smelled like? Lacie said, "pish sticks." (fish sticks) I guess it was fitting that he smelled like pish sticks since he came from a seafood restaurant.

8/6/2007
To try to get Lacie to poo in the potty, I took her shopping for finger nail polish. We were at Target and I told her the nail polish was for when she decided to put her "poo poo in the potty," with ALL excitement and volume, she yells (IN TARGET) multiple times, "Lacie LIKE to poo poo in potty!" Then to add to her enthusiasm, she yelled several times, "daddy like to poo poo in potty, too!" (Yes, she left me out of this conversation.)

7/17/07
Lacie announced that she had to go potty - I was so proud of her - we went into the RR and got undressed to sit on the potty. She had already gone in her pull-up. After I sat her on the potty for a few seconds I told her I was proud of her for telling me she had to go but we just did not make it in time to put it in the potty. She said to me, "Accents happen mommy, and dats otay"

3/16/08 (later) Weather dot com

As I look at our local forecast for the next 10 days and compare to the weather in Seoul - Seoul has the best weather. We would need just a jacket and normal clothes in Korea (normal: no long underwear, no ear muffs, etc).

I looked at the projections for Korea for the month and according to averages we should have good weather (based on temp.)

This makes mommy feel much better since I absolutely HATE the cold. I am very "drumpy" when it is cold. We were in China in the heat of summer (July) when we adopted Lacie. I would take July heat anytime in Guangzhou China.

More later as I get over the writers block I originally had . . .

3/16/08 The Blogsingers are growing

I begin this blog as we prepare to add to our family again. Baby Paul was born in March 2007. This month is his first birthday month. He is from Korea and coming home in about two weeks. This blog will be our new family journal.

We decided in the Fall of 2006 that we wanted to grow our family again. We talked about China again. We talked about Korea. We learned about Taiwan. We chose Taiwan. God had other plans – OF COURSE! We sent our paperwork and small family album to Taiwan in March 2007. The day after we sent it off, our sweet baby boy was born – IN KOREA!

In September 2007 we got an email from our home study agency about a baby in Korea. We talked. We prayed. We talked. We asked questions. We talked. We prayed. Our detour began – for the new additional joy of our lives. We hurried through updating our home study. We prepared the few papers needed for Korea and it was all sent to Korea at the end of October. We anticipated traveling to get our boy at the end of January or in February. And we waited and waited and waited. We planned. We set up a nursery. We prepared.

We waited longer for our legal papers from Korea to file with the US immigration office to get his Visa. We finally got the paperwork on February 1^st. It was hand delivered to immigration on 2/5. We got approval on 2/13. That was record timing. We were thrilled. We then had to wait for immigration to forward our file to the National Visa Center. We waited and waited. The National Visa Center never received our papers. We called and emailed and emailed and emailed everyone we could imagine - still no receipt. Our travel to our boy was waiting on this paperwork.

Finally after calling our congressman’s office and talking to “Brooke” – within one day she got our documents sent to the National Visa Center. She was our angel last week. Within four days we got the call from our agency rep, “Julie” informing us we were already approved for travel. She was our second angel in one week.

We are approved to leave as soon as possible to get our boy. We will leave on March 26 to travel to Korea to bring our boy home. We are still pinning down plans for home sitting, Lacie care and dog care. We will have the help of preschool teachers, neighbors, friends and family to make sure our child, home and animals are well taken care of. More angels!

More information to come – and Lacie’s reactions so far. . .