Home Sweet Home

So I know it has been forever since I posted. There is no reason except that I am buzy and blissfully happy!

So here is my version of the pick-up till homecoming. This will be a long post!

I couldn't sleep the night before we were given custody of Abeni. I was so nervous and excited and scared. I was also heartbroken for what our baby girl and her foster family were going to be experiencing. So finally at 6:15 I decided laying in bed was not helpful and convinced Michael to get up and "get ready." Only problem was I had insisted on getting everything ready the night before so we had 4 hours to just sit and wait. SOOOOO we checked our emial, twice. Then at 8 we decided to go upstairs and rock the babies in the nursery. That was both wondeful and hard. Holding the sweet baby girls and boys in my arms and comforting them was wonderful but it was hard to hear babies crying and know that we couldn't comfort them all. There were "over 80" babies in the nursery. They were between 0-3 months old. The babies we held and rocked were darling! I prayed and prayed that they would have a family soon. The ladies asked how long we could stay and we told them that we had to get our baby at 10 so they said "you can stay till 10?" Sure! So they kept bringing up babies to rock feed and love on. Finally with about 10 minutes to spare we handed the babies back over. They asked us the name of our baby and remembered her! They wished us luck and we headed upstairs to get our things. When we got downstairs we met Mrs. Shin she had the driver load our stuff into the van and then Abeni and her foster mother came in. Abeni looked adorable and smiled when she saw us. Things were happening so quickly! Then Dr. Kim came into the room and she prayed over Abeni. I ran back upstairs to get the letter and flowers we had prepared for the Foster Mother. While I was gone Michael spoke with the Foster Father on the phone. We told him that we are two families that are one because of one amazing little girl. Then all at once Mrs. Shin was walking us to the door. The van was waiting out front. Abeni's
Foster Mother, Michael and I all began to cry and then SooYeon's foster mother kissed her and held her one more time and then she placed her in my arms. We hugged and I was ushered into the van. Then we were gone. I couldn't even process what was happening. Abeni did very well with the hand off. She fussed a little about 5 minutes into the drive but I was able to comfort her. I held her in my arms and whispered over and over that I loved her. Soon we were at the Army Post and we went to go get on the van that would take us to the Air Force Base to catch a flight home. Abeni fell asleep on the bus ride to the Air Force Base. I was so happy to see our friend Amber when we arrived. She somehow fit all of our bags in the back of her car and we headed to her house. Abeni still did well. She only wanted me to hold her and wasn't eating well but she did share a few sweet smiles and even a giggle. We went to the Air Force Base the next morning at 5 am to try to get on a flight to Seattle. Because it is standby we didn't make it that first flight so we spent two more days in Korea just loving on our girl and learning all the cute little things she does. We made it on the Thursday flight. We arrived home on Tursday evening Utah time it was so good to see our boys. There was a quick hello at the airport and then we were headed home. I can't tell you how wonderful it was to hold my three kids, kiss my three kids, and have all of them asleep in our home. Ok this post is long enough I will attach a picture because that is what you are all here for :) and say good night. I'll add more pics and details later.



Abeni at the US Military AirPort



Sweet girl after her bath

We've got our girl.

Today has been one emotional amuzement park ride. Ari and I were up numerous times unable to contain our excitement. Ari finally urged me to wake up at 6:15am so we could ensure we were ready, even though we packed everything the night before. So we passed the time checking our email over and over again. Also to note that Ari and I handle our stress so differently. I like to eat while Ari paces the walkway. At about 9:40am after doing all we could to pass the time, I had Ari go into one of the kitchens at Eastern and watch me eat my stress away. I felt like it was fair since I passed the time earlier checking and double checking to make sure everything was packed and nothing was missing.
Well at about 9:50 we took all the bags we brought and aquired down to the lobby. We hadn't been given any instructions other than meet at 10am. We got down there and Mrs. Shin (our Abeni's Social worker) was just walking to the elevator. We met outside and I had a decent conversation pertaining to the conflict the US Embassy started when they realized they had not followed through with the paper work. Afterwords I went out side with the driver to take the luggage to the van our US adoption agency purchased.
When I returned Abeni and her foster mother had already arrived and were talking to Ari. Dr. Kim came in to say a prayer that is prayed when a child is taken from Eastern. It was a very sweet prayer requesting that God watch over this sweet child and protect her. She also prayed that one day she can return to Korea to learn about who she is and where she came from. Sadly for Ari, I understood it, but on the brighter side you could still feel a great spirit of strength and love that Eastern has placed in these children. I gave Dr. Kim a donation and while they were wrting a receipt, Abeni's foster mother called her husband so he could say good bye to us. In that conversation I could hear how choked up he was becoming about saying goodbye. I expressed to him that we were two families that had now become one through Abeni. He also let me know he would like to remain in contact and that he had written me a two page letter expressing his desire that I again teach Abeni about her culture and language. After our conversation, we moved to the front of Eastern where the van was waiting. Ari gave the foster mother a hug while she was handed Abeni. We jumped in the van and took off towards YongSan Army base to get on a bus to take us to Osan Air Force Base. Abeni actually didn't cry until about 2 minutes into the drive. It was extrememly painful to witness the love that Abeni's foster mother had for her as she willfully handed her to Ari. Abeni had remained quite calm on the way to Yongsan. She had a few moments where she screamed and called for her Oma.. We made it onto YongSan and onto the bus. Abeni only screamed when I looked at her or touched her. She went to sleep and I finally was able to get my chance to hold her. And the moment she focused on my face when she woke, she immediately screamed until Ari took her back. When we got to Osan, my friend Amber was there waiting for us to take us back to her apartment where we will squat until it is time to head to the plane. Since waiting, I have finally been able to hold Abeni a bit more, and she takes turns screaming and burying her head into my chest. But Ari is getting amazing hold time. She is such a sweet baby, she had such a good time bathing in the sink. She is finally asleep on a bed, and she is such a little angel.

NICU party (Ari's version)

I held my baby! Her Foster Mother just put her right in my lap. TWICE! I played with her and made her giggle. She sat on my lap for five minutes and didn't even fuss. It was the most wonderful feeling. I felt the way I feel when I hold my boys; that intense, strong, unexplainable mother love. Oh I can't wait to hold her again. Monday can't come soon enough and at the same time the hours are speeding by. I honestly feel so much love for Abeni's foster family and I am so sad that they are and will be hurting for the next little while. Her Foster Father is a gentle and responsive man who seemed to see the needs of his wife and children and meet them quickly. Her brother is funny. :) I will never forget the care and love they have provided to our daughter. We are one family in two countries.

Hospital Party

First off we are sorry that we were unable to blog after the party due to the lack of internet and the great time we spent with my (Michael) family in Chungju.
So this was my post that I typed while on the bus. Well what a wonderful day to be in Seoul South Korea. Got up early to try to skype with the boys only to find that Eastern's wifi was on the fritz. Once we finally gave up on the internet we cooked some breakfast. Also during breakfast I was taking all the photos off the SD card from the digital camera we sent the foster family. While transfering the photos, there was an error and it said that the file name of a folder was too long to move over. When I started researching the problem, I found that the file name was actually a secret message to me from the foster dad asking that we always teach Abeni about them and to never let her forget that they were a part of her life. Wow, speaking Korean has its priviliages, except it was too early in the morning for tears.
Well at 10 am it was time to head down to the first floor of Eastern to meet a social worker and driver who took us to the Hospital Party. We drove, what seemed the long way around Seoul, to the Hospital. On the way to the hospital we talked with the social worker and the driver and really got to talk freely about random things. We didn't want to get to deep into conversations with them just becuase we hadn't figured out their motives in their questions.
We got there about 15 minutes earlier than Abeni's foster family. Once we got to the floor that the party was being held, we were greeted by a life size Winnie the Pooh, Garfield and a Korean Frog/Soldier character. Then we went to sign in to the party. And together the social worker and I explained our story to them and how were invited to the party. Once we were signed in, Ari and I were ambushed by the Hospital director and the head nurse of the pediatrics. Also, many of the other staff were taking pictures as if they were paparazzi.
Finally Abeni and her foster family arrived. We were so excited to see them (when I say "we" I am talking about every hospital worker that learned of the story in the 15 minutes we were there before Abeni"). Abeni got a huge smile on her face when she saw Ari. Well we and Abeni's foster family were then funneled through a walk way to pick up some of the snacks that were for the premies and their families. There was some milk, fruit and some juice boxes for the siblings. And there was a large case of tetra pak baby soy milk. Yum, my favorite, but not sure on how to get it home. We made it into the audatorium and were sat down. Between Abeni's foster father and I, I think we took about 400 pictures (but I will only post a few here). There was a little presentation at the beginning of the party where the Hospital Director and the head Pediatric Nurse each got up to give words. During the Hospital Director's speech he decided to include the special Americans who came to partake in the festivities with our Adopted Child and the Foster Family. He had Ari and I stand up and had everyone else clap for us. After his and the Nurse's speeches that gave out some "Good Wishes" sheet that has a prayer like saying on it and another bag of goodies. In the bag, was a book that has parents' stories about their babies' premature stories in it. It also had a really cute Bear hooded towel with the hospital's name embroided on it, and johnson baby lotions and soap. It was such a great experience. I have to also mention that Abeni's foster brother was so excited to meet the life size cartoon characters. Well during more of the party Ari was able to hold Abeni for a few minutes with out tears and was able to even get some more smiles and giggles from her. I on the other hand, as soon as I touch her she screams out in terror. Which is weird for me. Even as a missionary here, I never had a child cry or try to get out of my arms. I must have become hard and scary in my old age.
On our way back to Eastern, we decided that it was time to ask hard questions about Eastern, the current bog of the Adoption process and why the insistance of closing the international adoption program. We also got into our situation with the Embassy and them calling Eastern on why Abeni's paper work was taking so long, even though it was the Embassy's mishap.

10 Month update

NEW Pictures!!

and.....

                                              I can't believe how much I love this little angel.

Even sweet when she is mad.

Seriously!

No Words Necessary.

New Pictures!!

Yay!!! We finally received some new pics of our baby girl.  She is so adorable and getting so chunky. That foster mother is sure doing her part to win the competition of the chunkiest foster child award.  She is so cute, her cheeks almost hide her enormous eyes. She has the cutest wave of hair on the front of her forehead. She even has chunky dimples on her hands... Oh Happy Day.
There will be more to follow.

LEGALS HAVE ARRIVED!!

Upon arriving home this evening and checking the mailbox, we found Abeni's legals have arrived. HOORAY!!!!!! We are so excited that things are moving forward. Along with receiving legals, our I600 was mailed out on Friday and should have arrived in Texas this afternoon. The I600 will then be on its way to the new streamlined facility in Missouri. This can only mean that if things continue to move at this pace, we could have our sweet angel in our arms before her first birthday. Please everyone keep your fingers crossed and the prayers in your hearts that the news keeps getting better and the wait gets shorter.

Although the disheartening thing to realize is that in her Legals is a English Version of her Birth Certificate and there are no father or mother listed and that it states that she was abandoned. I was really hoping to have it in Korean and to have something other than abandoned. However, we are now the Mommy and Daddy and we will never abandoned her. We love you Miss Abeni.

What's in a Name?

When Michael and I were expecting our first child we spent LOTS of time discussing names. We both suggested names that we thought "sounded good." We both suggested family names. We thought and thought and talked and talked. Then we decided we really wanted to name our children names that had meaning and significance.

A few days before Miles was born we were still thinking about names. Michael was searching the internet and looked up nick-names for Michael. He found Miles, an old nickname for Michael which means soldier. We loved that name and when Miles was born it fit him perfectly. We added the middle name Kent in honor of my grandfather. He was a loving and caring man and we wanted Miles to have those traits.

When I found out I was expecting our second child Miles was only 14 months old. He was very verbal. I asked him when I was 2 or three months along I told him, "Mommy is going to have a baby brother or sister. What do you think we should name the baby?" He looked up at me with those big blue eyes and said, "Happy." He stuck with "Happy" through the remainder of my pregnancy so when it came close to time to have Isaac we looked for names that meant happy. We found Isaac which means "he will laugh." We thought it was a lovely name and when Isaac was born the name fit him perfectly. We chose the middle name Lynn to honor a man who had a great influence in Michael's life.

I have looked at lots of name books and websites in my life. I don't remember when but a long time ago I came across the name Abeni. It is an African name that means, we prayed for this little girl and God gave her to us. Sometimes the meaning is shortened to girl prayed for. I loved that meaning and thought if I ever had a daughter I would name her Abeni. (Ab like Abby, a like a ball, and nee like knee.) We will be leaving her Korean name as her middle name. We are considering giving her an american middle name also. We haven't decided on that yet.

Seriously!

How many times can I look at the same two pictures! She is so stinkin' cute!!!

Now What and When?

So since we have made the announcement of our referral we have been getting lots of questions. The two most common are.....

First What happens now? and Second When will you get her?

Here is the answer to question one.

1. We are still so happy with our referral that I don't think our feet have touched the ground. We have lots of steps to go through in order to bring sweet little Abeni home. Basically we get to play paperwork ping-pong between the US government, our US agency, the Korean Government, our Korean agency, and us. The poor paperwork ball gets bounced around a lot; it is quite confusing I will do my best to explain here.

1. First we signed official acceptance paperwork. This paperwork all had to be notarized and we sent it back to the agency of Thursday March 11th.

2. Our US Agency will compile all of the paperwork and send it off in a package to Korea. This happened Monday March 22nd. (There have been some paperwork mix-ups already)

3. Our Korean Agency will ok the match and then send "legal" paperwork to our US Agency.

4. Our US Agency will take that paperwork, send us a copy, file for an interstate compact, and file an I600 form with the US customs and imigartion (hereafter referred to as USCIS.) We will then wait for approval from USCIS. The Interstate Compact is an agreement between Utah and Colorado that gives permission for us to have Abeni in our care even though she is in the legal custody of AAC. The purpose of the paperwork with USCIS is to designate our little girl as an immediate relative and say that we will sponsor her to enter the US.

5. The USCIS will send the approval to the National Visa Center (NVC.) This step is referred to as NVC in.

6. The NVC will send all of the paperwork to The US Embassy in Seoul. This step is referred to as NVC out.

7. The US Embassy will complete a "P3" and send it to the Korean Agency.

8. The Korean Agency will submit an Exit Permit (EP) request to the Korean Government.

9. The Korean Government will approve the EP. (Steps 8&9 are taking a long time right now.)

10. Abeni will make a personal appearance at the US Embassy in Seoul.

11. Abeni will have her "Visa Interview" with the US Embassy in Seoul.

12. The Korean Agency will call our US Agency and tell them we can travel at any time. We will receive the magic "Travel Call."

13. We get to go to Korea and bring our little girl home!!!!!!

We have been in contact with our agency about how long we are expected to wait for travel call and we are being told around eight months. This timeline could change one way or the other.

To answer the "when will you get her" question.

We really don't know for sure there are some slow downs in the adoption process right now. We are hoping to have her home around her first birthday

About our girl.

Our daughter is four and a half months old. She weighs just over 10 lbs. and is 21 inches tall. She laughs out loud, and holds her head up when on her belly. She sleeps almost all day waking up every 3-4 hours to eat. She is described as "adorable" and "cute and alert" in her paperwork. She stops crying when she hears her foster mother.