Made our first trip to Cosctco. Can anyone say diapers and wipes for a good price!
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Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Costco
Made our first trip to Cosctco. Can anyone say diapers and wipes for a good price!
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Brandywine Zoo
Today, we made our first venture out as a family to the Brandywine Zoo. Let me begin by saying, any zoo that does not have elephants or giraffs should put the "zoo" in captions. We realized that it was a small zoo, but should we really be finished in under an hour? I turned to Mike and said ok let's head to the next section. Let's just say, that the next section was the exit door. Too funny. We'll be heading to the Philly Zoo soon...
But, we did see live goats. And someone was interested in them?
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Tuesday, August 30, 2011
First Social Worker Visit
Today, we had our first social worker visit. She came to the house right after his first nap, so really good timing (we are noticing that he is so happy after nap time). I think she was amazed at how big he is---that's our boy, the little bruiser. We put him in the highchair and fed him (always a good idea) while she discussed his progress. It seems like he is right on schedule and she seemed pleased with his progress. It is neat to see how Mike is so willing to discuss everything about the little man. He is such a great daddy.
Right now, he is laying down for his second nap. It took awhile, but he is finally sleeping. He has done a great job transitioning with sleep. The doctors at CHOP recommended putting a pack n play in our bedroom until he is further adjusted. So while he sleeps in the pack n play, we get uninterrupted sleep in our own bed. The next step will be making the transition to his bedroom. We initially started in his bedroom with the little man sleeping with one of us (mostly Mike) on the bed. But that resulted in good sleep for him, not so good sleep for us. And don't even get me started on the jet lag. I struggled with jet lag for a good week. Not even sleeping pills could help. It seems like we are all starting to get on a regular schedule, finally!
Right now, he is laying down for his second nap. It took awhile, but he is finally sleeping. He has done a great job transitioning with sleep. The doctors at CHOP recommended putting a pack n play in our bedroom until he is further adjusted. So while he sleeps in the pack n play, we get uninterrupted sleep in our own bed. The next step will be making the transition to his bedroom. We initially started in his bedroom with the little man sleeping with one of us (mostly Mike) on the bed. But that resulted in good sleep for him, not so good sleep for us. And don't even get me started on the jet lag. I struggled with jet lag for a good week. Not even sleeping pills could help. It seems like we are all starting to get on a regular schedule, finally!
Monday, August 29, 2011
One More Time, Please
This morning, we headed over to the park to introduce the little guy to the playground. To say it was a hit would be an understatement. Can you see the joy and wonder in this little boy's face?
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Holy Cow, A Slide
Let's just say that the little man got his slide on. At first, we held him as we made our way down. By the end, Mike hung on at the top and I waited for him at the bottom. The moment I caught him he was raring to go back to the top. This is definitely a personality trait that we love about him. He is so easy going and willing to try new things. Holy Cow Batman, It's a Slide Contraption!
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Found the Playground
So much to do...so little time to do it. Since we have gotten home, we are starting to see more of his little personality. It's fun to watch as he discovers new things. Here he is assessing the playground before charging full steam ahead.
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Whacky Geese
And yes, Mattie and Trojan had their fun as well. We don't need no stinkin badgets to patrol this park... because we have two pint sized pups who are full of sound and fury. Ok, so as Cavaliers they are a little lacking in the fury department. But check out our 12 pound dog in action--pretty impressive, no?
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Sunday, August 28, 2011
Thank God, He's Sleeping
It's been a little rough on the girls with the sleep disruption. For now, the girls take every opportunity that they can to catch a snooze. A thought, could they be the perfect balancing act to tire each other out? Yes, in a perfect world that could work. My plot is coming together perfectly (is there no end to her evil)!
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We Made It Through the Rain
Thank goodness, Hurricane Irene has passed. We made out ok, with no real damage. It did get a little scary around 10 last night with a Tornado Warning, with very high wind. But we are no worse for wear.
Let me tell you how we roll during a Hurricane. First, there was lots of eating. The little guy has developed a love for Chicken Nuggets, Gerber Puffs and Ice Cream (I know, a wickedly good combination). And then there is the sippy cup, because you never know when you'll need to hydrate during a state of emergency.
Yes, there was plenty of play. The little guy loves ball ball. Did he just throw that at Trojan? I'm sure it was an accident and he was aiming elsewhere. Wait a minute, did he just give his slick smile? He DID throw it at Trojan.
As you can see, the co-habitation is working well. I turned around to see him squatting over the dog's bowl ready to lap up the water like the dogs. On the bright side, at least it wasn't dog food (although we do buy organic and the thanksgiving dinner looks pretty darn good--I'm not saying I've tried it, but in case of an emergency every man, child, dog for himself). All kidding aside, he is doing great with the dogs. And they are as well.
Finally, one of us has gotten plenty of rest. He seems to be making the adjustment to our time zone, with two naps yesterday (yes!) and a full night of rest. I mean, what really is better to do during a Hurricane than sleep!
Let me tell you how we roll during a Hurricane. First, there was lots of eating. The little guy has developed a love for Chicken Nuggets, Gerber Puffs and Ice Cream (I know, a wickedly good combination). And then there is the sippy cup, because you never know when you'll need to hydrate during a state of emergency.
Yes, there was plenty of play. The little guy loves ball ball. Did he just throw that at Trojan? I'm sure it was an accident and he was aiming elsewhere. Wait a minute, did he just give his slick smile? He DID throw it at Trojan.
As you can see, the co-habitation is working well. I turned around to see him squatting over the dog's bowl ready to lap up the water like the dogs. On the bright side, at least it wasn't dog food (although we do buy organic and the thanksgiving dinner looks pretty darn good--I'm not saying I've tried it, but in case of an emergency every man, child, dog for himself). All kidding aside, he is doing great with the dogs. And they are as well.
Finally, one of us has gotten plenty of rest. He seems to be making the adjustment to our time zone, with two naps yesterday (yes!) and a full night of rest. I mean, what really is better to do during a Hurricane than sleep!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Is It Still Raining?
On the weather forecast today, rain and wind from Irene. But before that occurred, we made a trek to the park with the little guy and the pups. He really seems to enjoy being outdoors, which is good because we are an outdoor type of family. Which makes a day like today tough. It's been raining since noon time.
No worries, we brought our play inside. And for the first time in days, we got him to nap (yes!). He's really been resisting nap time the last few days as we adjust sleep to the Eastern time zone. The CHOP doctor said to expect some sleep adjustment. We still can't complain too much because he has been sleeping through the night. Hopefully, we can get back on a nap schedule because he is exhausted by the end of the day.
Our little bust body is starting to show more of his personality each day. The latest: a slick little smile when we say no no to something.
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Friday, August 26, 2011
Did Someone Say Let's Get Our Swim On?
Catch a Wave and You're Sittin On Top of the World. Ok, so there were no waves, but you get the idea. In our son's typical fashion, he rolled right with the idea of getting into the pool. The hardest part was getting the swim trucks on. Once in, he splashed and laughed his way through pool time. Way cool.
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No No Trojan
I just missed the No No Trojan finger wave. We do that every time Trojan barks, which is a lot.
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Hurricane Preparedness
So, it has been a historic week here in Philadelphia. First, we felt the aftershocks of a 5.9 earthquake based in Mineral, Virginia. This occurred while we were laying down for nap time. Because of the bedrock in the eastern part of the U.S., the earthquake was felt for hundreds of miles. No major damage or injury, but also very unusual to feel in Philly.
Now, we are preparing for a hurricane, which is supposed to occur this Sunday. We haven't had a hurricane hit this far north (potentially Cape May, NJ) for a long while. We are inland so we will probably get a lot of wind and rain. Mike ran to the grocery store this morning (with a growing boy) you can never be too prepared. Is it possible for him to eat us out of the house in a weekend?
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Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Whatcha Talkin About Willis
We made our first visit to American doctor this morning. And they were impressed with his progress. He is physically right on schedule. Able to walk, climb up and down steps, pick up food by himself and play with toys. The only glitch occurred when they had to take blood. He gave the very famous look of Gary Coleman and Whatcha Talkin About Willis.
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Monday, August 22, 2011
7 Observations
So, tomorrow marks the 7 day mark since we received the little guy. We blinked and the week has past. Here are 7 observations that we have made:
1. He definitely is "all boy" as the foster mom told us. Loves to play with cars and balls.
2. This little guy is an eater. Willing to try about everything.
3. Very inquisitive. You can almost see the wheels in motion trying to figure things out.
4. Loves to be held.
5. Dances to music.
6. Loves electronics---including phones, remotes and computers.
7. Busy body---this is a boy in motion.
1. He definitely is "all boy" as the foster mom told us. Loves to play with cars and balls.
2. This little guy is an eater. Willing to try about everything.
3. Very inquisitive. You can almost see the wheels in motion trying to figure things out.
4. Loves to be held.
5. Dances to music.
6. Loves electronics---including phones, remotes and computers.
7. Busy body---this is a boy in motion.
First Visit to the Park
We are extremely lucky to have a 60 acre park next door. It's filled with soccer fields, tennis courts and kids playgrounds. This time of year there are lots of kids running around for soccer practice.
It was such a nice day (80 degrees and low humidity) that we loaded the little guy up and headed next door. He loved the ride over in the jogging stroller. But was a little unsure with the grass fields. After dinner, he finished the night off with a run in the stroller with daddy.
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Notice Anything Unusual?
We couldn't stop laughing when we saw that he managed to balance a piece of his Gerber Puffs on his nose.
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Sunday, August 21, 2011
First Napper of the Day
So we've been slowing introducing the little guy to the pups. At first, he was a little scared, especially after Trojan barked. But with the last few days, the fear seems to have worn off and curiousity has set in. His head turns to watch them. Mike snapped this picture with Trojan.
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Sunday Visitors
So today we had out first visitors. Mike's parents and grandmom came over. We had a great time watching him play and dance. Grandmom brought him a hand made sweater for the fall. It looks so comfy. And we put together his alphabet ride, so now we are officially pimped out.
He continues to amaze with his easy going nature. Still working on the jet lag, but that will get better. We also got his book working again so there has been much dancing. Overall we have been very happy with his transition.
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Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Last day in Seoul
We head to the airport in a few hours. It really is bitter sweet. Seoul is such an amazing city full of great tradition and even better people. We enjoyed our time here and plan to come back when he is older. He needs to experience his birthplace for himself.
For the first time since our arrival, we woke to a warm sunshine. I'm going to take that as a sign that things are right in our world. It's a perfect sentiment to how we feel. Glowing with warmth and sunshine. May our little guy have a blessed life.
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Daddy's Boy
He's really taken a shining to Mike. It's funny to watch him follow Mike around everywhere. He really is an easy going child. Willing to let each of us hold and feed him. Making good eye contact. Sleeping very well (still working the getting to sleep part). We've done many of the bonding exercises recommeded. Let's hope that we can continue to strengthen the relationship over time.
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Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Our Little Cleaner
The foster mom told us that he liked to vacuum. Little did we know how true that was! I went to sweep the floor and he instantly wanted to help. My little cleaner...
I also wanted to mention that she taught him how to brush his teeth and hair. He did both with no fuss. He was a lucky little guy to have had such a great foster family. Many thanks!
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First Morning
This little guy is a trooper. Last night, we spent most of the time walking around with him. It seemed that as soon as we stopped he would start to cry. But for the most part, he did extremely well.
At bedtime, a little bit of his personality showed. He giggled as we tickled him. He then proceeded to take the center of the bed and fall asleep. And he slept for over 8 hours. Much better than us. I've been up since 2 when my phone rang.
This morning he has been a man in motion. After breakfast, we brought the balls out and he has been chasing them every since.
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Monday, August 15, 2011
Today, we picked up our son from the Korean agency. We arrived a little early and were ushered into a meeting room. Those were the longest 30 minutes of our lives. When the door opened, it was like time simutaneosly sped up and slowed down. The little boy that we dreamed about so frequently was in our site. And boy is he a cutie. The social worker described him as lovely.
He was well loved by his foster family and we are forever thankful to them. Just by watching the foster mom describe him, you see how much she loved him. And we were really happy to see the older daughter. She shared a special bond with him and he will miss her greatly. Their last message to him was that they loved him deeply. We also received many wonderful gifts from them.
The foster mom's words to describe him: all boy, sweet, loving, alarm clock to the daughters, mimics actions, sleeps well, good eater, strong willed, intelligent. For his 1st birthday he picked a pencil (which signals intelligence)with the 2nd selection of a microphone (public speaker). And he loves the IPhone, having used it himself to call the police (inquisitive little guy).
As we left the agency, it hit us with how lucky we really are. These children are deeply loved by their caregivers (foster family, doctors, agency workers and the social worker).
We expect him to grieve deeply. He cried most of the way back to the hotel. But then that inquisitive nature also showed through as he struggled to figure us out. We'll get their as a family. For now, we'll help him through the transition. For now, that means a nap with daddy.
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Nurishment for the Return Trek
Yes, we ran into the best hamburger in Seoul and had to stop for lunch. Funny because we both said earlier that we craved a burger. And the Lord blessed us with one. (we have never eaten one so fast) It was just enough to make our return trek down the mountain that much easier. And no, we didn't take the cable car down. Trust me, i thought about it.
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Performing Stage at the Top
Little did I know what 300 meters meant. A steep incline of steps that was relentless. Throw in 100 percent humidity and you have the recipe for a hair emergency. We both were drenched by the top.
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View of Seoul
It was about at this point that we realized that we had missed the cable car. But no worries, Mike said that it was only 300 meters from the top. We had reached the point of no return. Now committed, we ventured on.
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Midpoint Restaurant
About half way up, we ran into a Korean Restaurant. Notice Mike checking out the menu.
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Walk to the Seoul Tower
We then started our walk to the Seoul Tower with the intention of taking the cable car to the top. And so it begins.
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