4/8/08 "sprinkles of booty"

The past few days have been relatively better with sleep. Baby Paul is sleeping most the night but still very restless and wakes around 3:00 a.m. to have a bottle. We are co-sleeping right now so none of us are getting much sleep. Paul was a co-sleeper in Korea and to put him in his own bed now would be traumatic for him to say the least.

He is still adjusting but doing much better each day. He is obviously feeling more comfortable with us cause he is beginning to be more independent and even having flaring tempers – when something does not go his way he will throw himself on the floor – thank God he is so cute! He seems more like an older toddler in the ways he plays and responds to situations and then he seems more like a baby in other ways. He is definitely an asset and a blessing to our family.

Today when baby Paul was sitting next to me in cuddle mode, I said to him, “Sa rang hay yo” (“I love you” in Korean.) Baby Paul just looked up and me and smiled. Bless his little heart – I have been “loving” him in English for a week. He knows my actions and kisses but not my words. Thank you Tammy and Elizabeth for sharing some Korean things to say to our boy. I need to use the words more often.

He had a fever today – which made mommy worry like crazy. But he seems to be doing better later in the evening.

Lacie is still amazing (of course)! The dogwood trees have been in bloom this week. As we were heading down a tree lined street in our neighborhood I pointed them out to Lacie and told her, “Lacie, see these pretty trees with the flowers on them? They will only have flowers for a very little while. God gave us these pretty trees as sprinkles of beauty to remind us He is still there.” Now when we are driving anywhere Lacie will point out any flowering tree and say, “Mommy look, sprinkles of booty, sprinkles of booty.”

Lacie still uses her pull up for No. 2. She just won’t use the potty for this potty business. No. 1 is down pat – but no. 2 in the potty is still a work in progress. Tonight when we were at the FCC dinner she told us she had to go potty. John took her. A few minutes after they returned she informed me that she had to go No. 2. (We had a pull up on her for safety sake.) I just stared at her – knowing that I did not want to deal with changing a messy pull- up in the parking lot. I really do not know what I said to her, but her response to me was – very matter of fact, “well, what would you like for me to do then?” I am still laughing that all that came out of my baby’s mouth – in one strait sentence and mature like – but about going No. 2 in her pull-up! I told her to go ahead – but she chose to wait till we got home. Thank God!

Lacie loves being a big sister. She still has moments but overall is doing awesome. Tonight when we were getting out of the car from an FCC (Families with Children from China) dinner, I carried her to the porch and was going to go back to get Paul next. But she saw that I was walking away from the car and she said, “Are you going to leave baby Paul in the car?” I laughed and thought, “oh, you wish!” Lacie helps with getting diapers for me when it is time to change him. She loves fetching anything I may need. If he drops something she will pick it up for him. He pulled her hair out of anger once and she took it like a champ. I am proud of her.

At our FCC dinner tonight a family came who has already adopted from Korea and is planning to adopt another. They are using the same placing agency as we did and therefore the same in country agency. It was great meeting them. Their son is just 3 years old and so cute. I am thrilled that we are now meeting and developing friends who have adopted from Korea – the friends (who are more like family) have been so valuable to us with our adoption of Lacie from China. I know some of these new Korea friends will also become like family. We already have another Korea adoptive family we met a few months ago and have cherished since.

Here is our first family picture of the four of us. Hopefully we will get a more formal one done soon.

Here is a picture of Daniel (from Korea) with baby Paul.

Daniels mom took these pics for us. Thank you Suzannah!

We hope everyone is having a great week!

Vonda, John, Lacie and baby Paul