Recently a good friend of mine shared this post on Facebook that someone had written about waiting for adoption. It literally brought back so many memories. Waiting for my son to come home was the hardest thing in my life, at this time, to deal with.
Waiting Adoptive Moms
One exert from the article was especially close to home:
She isn’t sure they’re coming home.
This is the part of the adoption process that makes you want to crawl
under your bed and not come out until it’s safe again. This is the part
that tears you soul in two. This is the part that you wake up in the
morning remembering and going to bed at night fearing. Because there are
no guarantees. And that’s hard. No, not hard. It’s gut-wrenching. It’s
not just the fear that your child might die before having a family, it’s
that this child you love with every ounce of your being might grow up
in an orphanage, on the streets, or worse.
I don't live life with many regrets. However, I do regret how little time I spent at home with my son when we first came home. I only had 4 weeks. Looking back I really should have taken off 2 to 3 months. I know going forward if I adopt again that will be the case and the consequences of taking that time off I am completely ready to deal with and the outlook.
For anyone adopting this is a fantastic read. While it was very difficult I don't regret anything as I have the most amazing son who I love more than myself. However, I don't know if I was prepared for the reality of the wait, especially the political mess we endured. Looking back it would have been helpful to probably talk with someone professional as while friends are good I am not sure it helped.
Showing posts with label Adoption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adoption. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
Cy You Are Almost 3!
Cy you are almost 3 and what time has gone by since you have come home to us. You have changed, grown and come into your own. I do have to say you crack me up everyday. I started this blog with you in mind and I figured I would chronicle you miles stones for you to look back online.
Favorite Color -> Orange
Favorite Movies -> Dumbo, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, How to Train Your Dragon, Polar Express
Favorite TV Shows -> Dinosaur Train, Diego, Thomas, Curious George
Favorite Apps -> Lunchbox Monkey, PBS Kids, Trucks, Monster at the end of the Book, Itsy Bitsy
Favorite Food -> Pizza, Soup, Risotto, Manchego, Pasta, Blueberries, Mangoes, Pears and Apples
Favorite Vegetables -> CARROTS, cucumbers, onions, bell peppers -- You love to juice veggies with Mommy and really enjoy drinking our mixtures!
You still don't sleep through the night and mommy and daddy only can count the days until you do. Milk or in Korean "uyu" is still your #1...you LOVE the stuff. If you are not drinking milk it is lemonade or fojiotos. You have a curious mind and love to figure stuff out. Recently you are into riding your Strider bike with your helmet. You love playing with your Brio train track too. You love all Thomas. Mommy and Daddy's friend Erin's son Nick gave you a Thomas flashlight that you really enjoy! That was super nice of Nick to share his toy!
I would say that you have an amazing ear for rhythm, pitch and tone. Natural ability to keep a beat and follow the music amazes me every time. You LOVE the drums! Friends of ours gave you a drum and you play with it often. Fort Collins Discovery Center has this great music sound room where you play the drums every time we go, needless to say you impress all the workers/volunteers that you can actually play and don't just bang away. Your musical taste range is abstract as us. Daddy will play anything from White Zombie, Henry Rollins, Irish Music or the Grateful Dead. Mommy has John Butler Trio, Katy Perry, Kanye, Rihanna, Bluegrass, etc. However, your absolute favorite song right now (aside from Christmas music) is Some Nights by Fun. You request it often and I think you are catching on to the lyrics and chime in perfectly! I promise you no matter how much or how little money we have we will always encourage music in your life.
You enjoy reading and being read to. Don't get to excited as you can't read...but you do memorize books surprisingly well and are able to recite.
Favorite Books:
Peace and Love! Always remember that Mommy and Daddy always love you so much!
PS. Daddy wants me to remember that he loves how you randomly and most importantly at the right time will say, "Thanks Daddy" or "Thanks Mommy"
Favorite Color -> Orange
Favorite Movies -> Dumbo, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, How to Train Your Dragon, Polar Express
Favorite TV Shows -> Dinosaur Train, Diego, Thomas, Curious George
Favorite Apps -> Lunchbox Monkey, PBS Kids, Trucks, Monster at the end of the Book, Itsy Bitsy
Favorite Food -> Pizza, Soup, Risotto, Manchego, Pasta, Blueberries, Mangoes, Pears and Apples
Favorite Vegetables -> CARROTS, cucumbers, onions, bell peppers -- You love to juice veggies with Mommy and really enjoy drinking our mixtures!
You still don't sleep through the night and mommy and daddy only can count the days until you do. Milk or in Korean "uyu" is still your #1...you LOVE the stuff. If you are not drinking milk it is lemonade or fojiotos. You have a curious mind and love to figure stuff out. Recently you are into riding your Strider bike with your helmet. You love playing with your Brio train track too. You love all Thomas. Mommy and Daddy's friend Erin's son Nick gave you a Thomas flashlight that you really enjoy! That was super nice of Nick to share his toy!
I would say that you have an amazing ear for rhythm, pitch and tone. Natural ability to keep a beat and follow the music amazes me every time. You LOVE the drums! Friends of ours gave you a drum and you play with it often. Fort Collins Discovery Center has this great music sound room where you play the drums every time we go, needless to say you impress all the workers/volunteers that you can actually play and don't just bang away. Your musical taste range is abstract as us. Daddy will play anything from White Zombie, Henry Rollins, Irish Music or the Grateful Dead. Mommy has John Butler Trio, Katy Perry, Kanye, Rihanna, Bluegrass, etc. However, your absolute favorite song right now (aside from Christmas music) is Some Nights by Fun. You request it often and I think you are catching on to the lyrics and chime in perfectly! I promise you no matter how much or how little money we have we will always encourage music in your life.
You enjoy reading and being read to. Don't get to excited as you can't read...but you do memorize books surprisingly well and are able to recite.
Favorite Books:
- But No Elephants - Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Nelson
- Circus Ship
- Thomas the Train Picture Book
- The Fire Engine Book
Peace and Love! Always remember that Mommy and Daddy always love you so much!
PS. Daddy wants me to remember that he loves how you randomly and most importantly at the right time will say, "Thanks Daddy" or "Thanks Mommy"
Saturday, February 16, 2013
The Ally Coalition
There are very few things that I feel very strongly about, however one of the biggest things that I am passionate about is Gay Rights. As we enter 2013 I am shocked and appalled by the ignorance in our society everyday. As my husband has stated, this is our generations civil rights movement. It is time to be an Ally.
When I was young AIDS was just coming on the scene. I remember (even in elementary school) how the media made us in fear. I was fortunate enough to be raised by a mother who supports Gay Rights and always taught me that everyone is equal. That even if you don't like someone you treat them with respect. As I grew up I had friends of different backgrounds, religious beliefs and sexual orientation. I never looked at someone as "My gay friend Todd," he was just Todd. Or that is my Jewish friend Kelly, just Kelly. It truly believe what makes us amazing is our diversity.
After bringing my son home my whole world changed. It was no longer the world that I lived in, it was the world he was going to live in. My husband and I are supporters of the Gay Rights Movement and do our best to donate and make our voice heard as "straight" people who support Gay Rights. I want my son raised in a house that teaches love and equality. To understand that no one is better then the other. This is an every day movement. Take a look around people, kids are killing themselves! Why? Because they are bullied for her they are; gay or straight. It is not the time to be silent...it is the time to stand up and make your voice heard!
Here is the link to The Ally Coalition JOIN TODAY!
So from my family to yours, "Be the Change You Want to See in the World" - Ghandi
When I was young AIDS was just coming on the scene. I remember (even in elementary school) how the media made us in fear. I was fortunate enough to be raised by a mother who supports Gay Rights and always taught me that everyone is equal. That even if you don't like someone you treat them with respect. As I grew up I had friends of different backgrounds, religious beliefs and sexual orientation. I never looked at someone as "My gay friend Todd," he was just Todd. Or that is my Jewish friend Kelly, just Kelly. It truly believe what makes us amazing is our diversity.
After bringing my son home my whole world changed. It was no longer the world that I lived in, it was the world he was going to live in. My husband and I are supporters of the Gay Rights Movement and do our best to donate and make our voice heard as "straight" people who support Gay Rights. I want my son raised in a house that teaches love and equality. To understand that no one is better then the other. This is an every day movement. Take a look around people, kids are killing themselves! Why? Because they are bullied for her they are; gay or straight. It is not the time to be silent...it is the time to stand up and make your voice heard!
Here is the link to The Ally Coalition JOIN TODAY!
So from my family to yours, "Be the Change You Want to See in the World" - Ghandi
Thursday, November 8, 2012
November is National Adoption Month
With it being National Adoption month I hope to do various post about Adoption. I know this year Larimer County is doing it's first ever National Adoption Day Celebration at the court house. It is really exciting how in recent years adoption has been so mainstreamed. I feel so fortunate every day for my son Cy! I believe VERY strongly in adoption/foster care.
One thing I hope to bring more to light are some things that I found very important and personal to me. Throughout this month I will highlight some of our struggles and wins. We went through extensive training before Cy came home preparing us for how we might feel, attachment, grieving, etc...However, we weren't really prepared for a toddler. Don't get me wrong as the date continually changed I was aware of his age...just not really a toddler. There wasn't much for resources on Toddler Adoption and the Weavers Craft can freak anyone out. I remember reading information on the Internet saying you shouldn't leave your child for 6 months, don't do this and don't do that. I wanted desperately to do the right thing. I literally freaked out and finally called my social worker crying because I just didn't know what to do and they didn't really know how to help as we were the first group to bring Toddlers home from Korea. Her advice, make sure to take care of you and Jeremy. So we did that. We sat down and wrote out what we wanted to do. I lost some people close to me for my decisions as even though we might make those decisions...it doesn't mean they are easy. I mean we kept thinking...shit what do we do!
I know my husband and I felt very lost as everything we read was for babies. I even remember thinking...in training they told us to sit on a yoga ball since the babies would be heavy (to protect our backs) and my son is climbing the kitchen cabinets and running all over the place. Frantically flipping through my resource books I was told to read and really finding nothing. Cy was 22 months when he came home, he wasn't this tiny baby. He was this mobile kid with a voice, opinion and he was moving! I have to be thankful for some friends who had two kids who said if we went from 0 to this we would freak out. I was like thank god I am not crazy because this is insane! Not because we didn't love our son because we were so unprepared.
It is kind of funny but literally around six months it got easier or we just got used to it, who knows. It was literally like stepping outside and everything was crisper. I got it. I am not afraid to share that I went through a little depression or that my family struggled in the beginning. I am not perfect. It wasn't all ice cream and suckers after two weeks. What I feel is important that every adoption is different and I want people to know how you choose to handle the transition doesn't make you a bad person. One piece of advice I can give is to always to what is best for you and your family.
I hope this month to try and post as much information on Toddler Adoption as possible to be a resource for others. Especially now Korean Adoption all children coming home will be toddler or older.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Sleepless in Fort Collins
Cy has struggled with sleeping through the night since we brought him home. In the 6 months he has maybe slept 3 times through out the night. Currently he wakes up anywhere between 2 to 5 times a night. Sometimes it is only for a few minutes he is just hungry, sometimes they are a wicked fit and sometimes he is just crying. There are a variety of factors involved in his sleep issues: Night Terrors/Nightmares, Learned hunger and probably our night time ritual.
There is a big difference between night terrors and nightmares. Jeremy and I, for obvious reasons, have learned a lot about the differences. Night terrors usually occur 2 to 3 hours after the child has fallen asleep and during Non-REM sleep. What happens is the child moves from deep sleep in the non-REM stage to a lighter REM sleep. During this transition dreams appear, hence causing the night terror. What is the crazy part of the night terror is that the child doesn't know they are asleep. We have been told to stay calm and just be present in case Cy might hurt himself as he can throw himself violently around or cry. We have also been told to never wake him. They say the most common cause is sleep deprivation, but Cy is on a regular routine. He doesn't have them consistently but about once to two times a week. Children do not remember a night terror, but will remember a nightmare. Nightmares usually occur after 1am and Cy will be awake for most of those. Seems more willing to be comforted.
I found this great article on line about the Four Reasons Toddlers Wake Up. What I liked about the article is that is got me thinking on other avenues to do research because since Cy was bottled fed by his foster mother for the first two years of his life AND she fed him 2x in the night he did get use to eating. He also slept next to his foster mother for two years and we are trying to get him to sleep on his own. This transition Jeremy or I will be in the room with him for 15 minutes to an hour some nights putting him to sleep. My reading has led me to believe that our nightly ritual of rubbing his back, singing, etc can effect him when he wakes out of a sleep cycle and we are not there. The suggestion is to just put them to sleep on their own when they are awake, but we haven't even implemented that part of our process. Cy is also a total snorer. We recently took him to the doctor and they detected wheezing in his lungs. He is currently taking being treated for it with a drug to help open his airways, but who knows. So as you can tell we have a ton of factors and a TON of situations that we have experienced at night. The deal is now, how do we fix them so he sleeps through the night.
Once we figure out the key factor and reason for his sleep disturbances we might be able to solve them. I wrote this blog post because after talking with a friend from college it made me realize how common these situations are and how much more informed we can be on a personal level. My goal is to try and journal the next few weeks to keep track of why he is waking up and the reason. Then hopefully be able to track a trend. Jeremy does majority of sleep duty with Cy as once I wake up...I am up til I go to work and after a few days of that I am NO fun to be around. We shared duties for the first 4 months and I have to say I was a bitch! I could barely think and have never felt so tired. So I will update you after our experiment. I will blog each night for the two weeks and see a trend.
Peace and Love and good sleeping!
There is a big difference between night terrors and nightmares. Jeremy and I, for obvious reasons, have learned a lot about the differences. Night terrors usually occur 2 to 3 hours after the child has fallen asleep and during Non-REM sleep. What happens is the child moves from deep sleep in the non-REM stage to a lighter REM sleep. During this transition dreams appear, hence causing the night terror. What is the crazy part of the night terror is that the child doesn't know they are asleep. We have been told to stay calm and just be present in case Cy might hurt himself as he can throw himself violently around or cry. We have also been told to never wake him. They say the most common cause is sleep deprivation, but Cy is on a regular routine. He doesn't have them consistently but about once to two times a week. Children do not remember a night terror, but will remember a nightmare. Nightmares usually occur after 1am and Cy will be awake for most of those. Seems more willing to be comforted.
I found this great article on line about the Four Reasons Toddlers Wake Up. What I liked about the article is that is got me thinking on other avenues to do research because since Cy was bottled fed by his foster mother for the first two years of his life AND she fed him 2x in the night he did get use to eating. He also slept next to his foster mother for two years and we are trying to get him to sleep on his own. This transition Jeremy or I will be in the room with him for 15 minutes to an hour some nights putting him to sleep. My reading has led me to believe that our nightly ritual of rubbing his back, singing, etc can effect him when he wakes out of a sleep cycle and we are not there. The suggestion is to just put them to sleep on their own when they are awake, but we haven't even implemented that part of our process. Cy is also a total snorer. We recently took him to the doctor and they detected wheezing in his lungs. He is currently taking being treated for it with a drug to help open his airways, but who knows. So as you can tell we have a ton of factors and a TON of situations that we have experienced at night. The deal is now, how do we fix them so he sleeps through the night.
Once we figure out the key factor and reason for his sleep disturbances we might be able to solve them. I wrote this blog post because after talking with a friend from college it made me realize how common these situations are and how much more informed we can be on a personal level. My goal is to try and journal the next few weeks to keep track of why he is waking up and the reason. Then hopefully be able to track a trend. Jeremy does majority of sleep duty with Cy as once I wake up...I am up til I go to work and after a few days of that I am NO fun to be around. We shared duties for the first 4 months and I have to say I was a bitch! I could barely think and have never felt so tired. So I will update you after our experiment. I will blog each night for the two weeks and see a trend.
Peace and Love and good sleeping!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Six Months
I am a little late but we celebrated Cy's six months home on October 13th. It truly feels like yesterday that we stepped off the plane. It has been such an emotional roller coaster with the past month, finally coming to a halt. My husband is of the most patient people and we were reflecting with some friends about how far we have come and how hard it was in the beginning. For my husband to feel it was hard you can only imagine the difficulty. When people adopt every story is different. We had a group of 6 people in our training and every single one of us has had a completely different experience, both personally and with our children. Each story and experience is a notch in our journey. I have to thank so many people that were so supportive during this whole process and I am writing notes now. I have learned a lot about myself and feel that I have grown as a person, wife and mother. I am probably a little different then the person I was six months ago...but still the same.
I have enjoyed the new friends having a child has brought us. I swear neighbors have come out of the wood word to hang out with us. It is amazing how children can bring people together. Cy is talking so much right now. He is trying sooo hard to form sentences. He can say 3 word sentences. School is teaching him potty training so that is going well. His motor skills are great! He can run and walk so much better then even 3 months ago. He is starting to gain weight...he has gained 2.5lbs in 3 months (considering he went down to 24lbs after growing 3 inches). He is wearing his glasses all the time. He is just really thriving in all environments. Now we just have to worry about normal toddler stuff.
I am counting the days down to Friday, November 16th as it will be a huge function at the courthouse for National Adoption Day! Our friends go right before us to welcome Colton as a US citizen and it really is so great to share this experience with them. It is such a important day for me, not because I haven't felt like Cy is my son from day one but because I am so excited that it is official.
Right now I am just enjoying the time I get to spend with Cy, but who knows if there will be a brother or sister for Cy....
I have enjoyed the new friends having a child has brought us. I swear neighbors have come out of the wood word to hang out with us. It is amazing how children can bring people together. Cy is talking so much right now. He is trying sooo hard to form sentences. He can say 3 word sentences. School is teaching him potty training so that is going well. His motor skills are great! He can run and walk so much better then even 3 months ago. He is starting to gain weight...he has gained 2.5lbs in 3 months (considering he went down to 24lbs after growing 3 inches). He is wearing his glasses all the time. He is just really thriving in all environments. Now we just have to worry about normal toddler stuff.
I am counting the days down to Friday, November 16th as it will be a huge function at the courthouse for National Adoption Day! Our friends go right before us to welcome Colton as a US citizen and it really is so great to share this experience with them. It is such a important day for me, not because I haven't felt like Cy is my son from day one but because I am so excited that it is official.
Right now I am just enjoying the time I get to spend with Cy, but who knows if there will be a brother or sister for Cy....
Friday, October 12, 2012
Flying the Friendly Skies
We recently took our first flight trip (other then bringing Cy home from Korea) to California and I have to say things were very smooth but their are a few necessities and preparation is key to friendly skies. My first thing as I have gotten older I have liked flying less but love traveling more...kind of an oxymoron. So, now that I have my son I need to make sure I am always cool and collective. Here are some fun tips on how we travel and of course ever evolving!
1. I HAVE to have my comfort and that is either episodes of Anthony Bourdain or Spain on the Road Again.
2. For Cy and if your child is into the IPhone, Smartphone or IPad I highly recommend the following Apps; Duck Duck Moose Trucks, Duck Duck Moose Wheels on the Bus, Duck Duck Moose Itsy Bitsy Spider, Peekaboo Barn, Peekaboo Wild and TallyTots. This kept Cy entertained for awhile.
3. I brought along Cy's favorite shows to watch. We had Thomas the Train and Diego Go!
4. You can now bring through liquids for your children so don't dump before going through security! It was a life saver as Cy doesn't drink milk and finding soy, lactose free or almond milk in an airport is tough.
5. Water! As soon as I get through security I am stocking up on water for Jeremy, Cy and I.
6. Emergen-C - Don't leave home without it! I take enough for the flight and during our stay. This helps fight off the recycled air in the cabin and just the natural weaknesses that comes from traveling.
7. Snacks for Cy. I packed Kashi Strawberry Bars, Graham Crackers to munch on. Snacks for Jeremy and I, Cliff Bar, Kind and Larabars. Healthy and totally filling.
8. Suckers for take off to keep Cy's ears from popping.
9. Check in EARLY! I swear I don't know why people don't do this already but especially with kids you can check in early, get your seats assigned and check your bags. Saves you a hell lot of time!
10. Luxury but LOVE, Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling headphones.
11. Shoes! Slip on and slip off shoes and that are comfortable...TOMS or Ahnu shoes! Love them! I own both pairs and switch between. They are comfortable and easily slip off during security and kick off when taking long flights. Both pair feel like slippers.
12. What to Wear? Yoga pants or MOTHER skinny jeans (my new favs), comfortable t-shirt and over sized sweater or sweatshirt. I am telling you, go with comfy. This is just my go to outfits. I love MOTHER jeans and fortunate enough to not have to pay that much for them. Local boutique in Fort Collins, McKlarken, has great sales
13. Extra clothes. Cy peed all over me as we were going through security so I learned on the way back to bring extra clothes for everyone in our carry on.
Peace, Love and Happy Traveling!
Monday, October 1, 2012
Gratitude Journal
As Autumn and October falls upon us here in beautiful Colorado I can't help but to be so thankful and happy for so many things! I remember Oprah (my love) having a show about a gratitude journal. When you change the things you think about, the things you think about change
- show your gratitude, appreciation, and love for the things around
you. Find things you are grateful for on a daily basis. Acknowledge
what you are grateful for in your life and you'll begin
to see how amazing your life truly is. Now with technology you can do it on the crapper (I had to throw a little ghetto in there :)) I figure that I can do gratitude journal in a variety of ways, photograph or written word.
Peace and Love!
- I am grateful for my son and husband
- I am grateful that my family is healthy
- I am grateful that today is sunny and the weather feels great!
- I am grateful for pizza with friends tonight! Yummy homemade pizza!
- I am grateful to go to a job with people who make me laugh everyday.
- I am grateful for getting back into yoga and meditation!
- I am grateful for getting back to me!
Peace and Love!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Cinco Meses!
We are a little past 5 months but I figured better late then never to get an update! Things are going wonderfully and I feel so lucky that he is our son! I wake up every morning so excited to see him and can't wait for the weekend to hang out with him! The only issue we continue to have is that he doesn't sleep through the night. He wakes up around 3 to 4 times a night with either a night terror or nightmare, but that hopefully will get better. He has really bonded with us and I can see a dramatic difference in the past month. He finally started giving us, on his own, giving us hugs! It is so great! I ask him to cuddle and he puts his head next to mine. He all about Mommy and Daddy right now and really, I think, knows who we are and that we are here for him.
He is so awesome! I see personalities of Jeremy and I in him and I am thinking how can that be...he isn't blood. But he does live with us and it just goes to prove that environment defines the child. Lately he has been figuring out and been interested in IPhone Apps, Diego and Thomas the Truck. He still really could care less about TV most of the time...but he is getting into IPhone Apps. He is eating more and more all the time. I always ask him in the morning if I look cute (with my work outfit) and he says yes. Then he comes out in his outfit and says, "cute mommy?" My heart melts!
He is still really drawn to red and loves red clothes, red stuff, etc...which is good when you are from Nebraska. Foods; Polenta, risotto, soups (the kid loves all soup), carrots, peas, lemonade, pizza, candy...he discovered candy and LOVES it, popcorn, blueberries, ground cherries (Jeremy thinks he just loves finding things outside to eat), etc...
I want to thank everyone for being in our lives! I feel that we are coming out of the depths and settling into a routine and what is more important...he really loves us! I feel so thankful everyday for the opportunity to have a family. I can't thank Marg and Jim Nelson enough because if it wasn't for their support their might be no Cy and I can't imagine our world without him. I love being a mother, teaching, playing with him, cuddling with him, etc...
Life is good!
Peace and Love
He is so awesome! I see personalities of Jeremy and I in him and I am thinking how can that be...he isn't blood. But he does live with us and it just goes to prove that environment defines the child. Lately he has been figuring out and been interested in IPhone Apps, Diego and Thomas the Truck. He still really could care less about TV most of the time...but he is getting into IPhone Apps. He is eating more and more all the time. I always ask him in the morning if I look cute (with my work outfit) and he says yes. Then he comes out in his outfit and says, "cute mommy?" My heart melts!
He is still really drawn to red and loves red clothes, red stuff, etc...which is good when you are from Nebraska. Foods; Polenta, risotto, soups (the kid loves all soup), carrots, peas, lemonade, pizza, candy...he discovered candy and LOVES it, popcorn, blueberries, ground cherries (Jeremy thinks he just loves finding things outside to eat), etc...
I want to thank everyone for being in our lives! I feel that we are coming out of the depths and settling into a routine and what is more important...he really loves us! I feel so thankful everyday for the opportunity to have a family. I can't thank Marg and Jim Nelson enough because if it wasn't for their support their might be no Cy and I can't imagine our world without him. I love being a mother, teaching, playing with him, cuddling with him, etc...
Life is good!
Peace and Love
Thursday, August 23, 2012
PADS
My husband and I can not express how much love we have for our son Cy. However, I definitely know that I went through a period of minor depression. Nothing serious by all means but I can tell this past few weeks how much better I feel and realized I wasn't myself.
I always knew Cy would be around 22 months or so when we would bring him home but in my mind he was still a baby and not a toddler. Going from no kids to a toddler was crazy! This child can talk, has an opinion, it was crazy! All the books and training were geared toward bringing home and infant. As much as our social worker would tell us to not take his grieving personal, it was hard not too. I also felt pretty alone, that nobody understood or could relate. Then there was, "my kid is perfect" or "why is he not adjusting ours adjusted quickly." Was something wrong with Cy?
The answer no. I put so much pressure on other peoples opinions and situations that I didn't really LOOK at my own baby. I think one of the biggest problems, while I enjoyed people coming to visit, it put a lot of added pressure on me. So when I should have been trying to figure out being a mother, a wife now that we have a child it was hard enough without having to be "on" and entertain. I don't want people to get the wrong idea, I appreciated everyone coming in to meet Cy but I think in the long run we really should of had people wait. The other difficulty was grieving.
Cy really struggled with the loss of his foster family and it was so painful. I am a control freak and I truly think the fact I couldn't control this was really difficult for me. I loved Cy from the second we got him and bond more and more with him everyday! Bonding and me not attaching to him was never an issue. However, I have to be honest...I had fears. What if he grew up and we didn't raise him right and he retaliated. What if I don't teach him well. It is a lot to raise a good man, will I do a good job? I doubted myself and my abilities as a mother. My husband was great as he told me he always knew I would be a good mother, but would I be? I am sure ALL new moms have these fears. I have to thank our social worker Maggie as she was amazing for me! She was there for me often and after awhile it got easier. I couldn't have done it without her.
I definitely feel good now but realized in the moment and looking back that I struggled a little. I think the hard part for me is doing it on my own. My friend Sarah (I know we have the same name, both from Minnesota and seriously are SO similar) was great. When I confided in her she was very helpful. I am very thankful for her! She never judged me and completely understood what I was going through. Our conversations made me laugh and realize that what I was going through was actually normal (to a point ;-))
Now coming out I feel so much more empowered and feel that others if they ever go through it don't be afraid to talk about it. I am thankful that mine wasn't severe and I was aware of it.
I did find some great links for you to check out if you want to read more about PADS.
Post-Adoption Depression
First Year Home with your Toddler
Baby Shock
I love this women's blog! I Am Not The Babysitter
Peace and Love
I always knew Cy would be around 22 months or so when we would bring him home but in my mind he was still a baby and not a toddler. Going from no kids to a toddler was crazy! This child can talk, has an opinion, it was crazy! All the books and training were geared toward bringing home and infant. As much as our social worker would tell us to not take his grieving personal, it was hard not too. I also felt pretty alone, that nobody understood or could relate. Then there was, "my kid is perfect" or "why is he not adjusting ours adjusted quickly." Was something wrong with Cy?
The answer no. I put so much pressure on other peoples opinions and situations that I didn't really LOOK at my own baby. I think one of the biggest problems, while I enjoyed people coming to visit, it put a lot of added pressure on me. So when I should have been trying to figure out being a mother, a wife now that we have a child it was hard enough without having to be "on" and entertain. I don't want people to get the wrong idea, I appreciated everyone coming in to meet Cy but I think in the long run we really should of had people wait. The other difficulty was grieving.
Cy really struggled with the loss of his foster family and it was so painful. I am a control freak and I truly think the fact I couldn't control this was really difficult for me. I loved Cy from the second we got him and bond more and more with him everyday! Bonding and me not attaching to him was never an issue. However, I have to be honest...I had fears. What if he grew up and we didn't raise him right and he retaliated. What if I don't teach him well. It is a lot to raise a good man, will I do a good job? I doubted myself and my abilities as a mother. My husband was great as he told me he always knew I would be a good mother, but would I be? I am sure ALL new moms have these fears. I have to thank our social worker Maggie as she was amazing for me! She was there for me often and after awhile it got easier. I couldn't have done it without her.
I definitely feel good now but realized in the moment and looking back that I struggled a little. I think the hard part for me is doing it on my own. My friend Sarah (I know we have the same name, both from Minnesota and seriously are SO similar) was great. When I confided in her she was very helpful. I am very thankful for her! She never judged me and completely understood what I was going through. Our conversations made me laugh and realize that what I was going through was actually normal (to a point ;-))
Now coming out I feel so much more empowered and feel that others if they ever go through it don't be afraid to talk about it. I am thankful that mine wasn't severe and I was aware of it.
I did find some great links for you to check out if you want to read more about PADS.
Post-Adoption Depression
First Year Home with your Toddler
Baby Shock
I love this women's blog! I Am Not The Babysitter
Peace and Love
Monday, July 16, 2012
Fouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuur!
We are heading into our 4th month with our little dude! I can't tell you how much I love that kid despite all the hard times. His personality is coming out more and more and he cracks me up. I think we are in the toddler testing stage as he will literally throw his bottle in front of him and then cry for "Uyu" which means milk in Korean. If he doesn't get his way, he throws a tantrum. I am totally coming out as the softy in our parenting world. I try and be strong but I hate to see him cry, even if it is manipulative.
Cy is definitely eating more all the time and seems to have a palate similar to ours. We gave up on feeding him toddler type food as all he wanted was what we eat, so I changed our diet. I love to watch him as he is discovering food is fuel and eating more and more and MORE importantly swallowing! He is such a happier kid the more he eats. His language is coming along so well! He communicates and says more words every day. He said his first sentence a week ago, "Grandma look at my truck." I about flipped out I was so excited. I love his voice and laugh it makes my heart melt.
This past weekend I had a break from him and got to sit outside in the beautiful summer Colorado air, listening to Brandi and Ingrid and staring over Denver thinking about my family...which I have! I sat there thinking about how lucky I am to be blessed with a child and a wonderful husband. I am so happy. There is so much more purpose to every day (despite REALLY missing working out). Let me tell you it has been a bumpy road with him and I do not even want to THINK about what it is going to be like when we pull the bottle! But years from now we won't even remember, except all the pictures with his bottle in his mouth.
I look forward to him attaching more and more! He calls us Mommy and DeDe all the time. He is doing more independent play. He is finding things he enjoys. He is loving and giving hugs. I just love the that he is becoming this person. He is so independent too!
I think you kind of freak out when you first get home like, Shit! Where is the rule book. How does this work. What if I break him. What if I mess up! Everything goes through my head! I just want to be the best parent, mother and wife. I hope along the way I meet some good friends and Cy grows up to be an accepting, loving and caring person. I will do my best to raise him to the best of my abilities. I definitely feel like I have changed in the past 3 months. I feel like everything about has me has been tested. I feel that I am more focused on what is important. I feel that I have mellowed (a little). I feel that I see the world and people through different eyes. I feel that I am a better person for being the mother of Cy.
Peace and Love
Cy is definitely eating more all the time and seems to have a palate similar to ours. We gave up on feeding him toddler type food as all he wanted was what we eat, so I changed our diet. I love to watch him as he is discovering food is fuel and eating more and more and MORE importantly swallowing! He is such a happier kid the more he eats. His language is coming along so well! He communicates and says more words every day. He said his first sentence a week ago, "Grandma look at my truck." I about flipped out I was so excited. I love his voice and laugh it makes my heart melt.
This past weekend I had a break from him and got to sit outside in the beautiful summer Colorado air, listening to Brandi and Ingrid and staring over Denver thinking about my family...which I have! I sat there thinking about how lucky I am to be blessed with a child and a wonderful husband. I am so happy. There is so much more purpose to every day (despite REALLY missing working out). Let me tell you it has been a bumpy road with him and I do not even want to THINK about what it is going to be like when we pull the bottle! But years from now we won't even remember, except all the pictures with his bottle in his mouth.
I look forward to him attaching more and more! He calls us Mommy and DeDe all the time. He is doing more independent play. He is finding things he enjoys. He is loving and giving hugs. I just love the that he is becoming this person. He is so independent too!
I think you kind of freak out when you first get home like, Shit! Where is the rule book. How does this work. What if I break him. What if I mess up! Everything goes through my head! I just want to be the best parent, mother and wife. I hope along the way I meet some good friends and Cy grows up to be an accepting, loving and caring person. I will do my best to raise him to the best of my abilities. I definitely feel like I have changed in the past 3 months. I feel like everything about has me has been tested. I feel that I am more focused on what is important. I feel that I have mellowed (a little). I feel that I see the world and people through different eyes. I feel that I am a better person for being the mother of Cy.
Peace and Love
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Week Two
Our first week with Cy went better then could be expected, however we are now in tantrum/grieving stage. Yesterday was a rough Monday for Cy. I am pretty sure he was grieving and we had multiple bouts or frustration on his end. Where I feel bad is that I just have no idea what he is saying so I can't help him. However, thanks to our neighbors The Perry's I now know "kim (sp) means seaweed.
Surprisingly his crying frustrations don't overwhelm me really, which surprises me. The most overwhelming is the diaper/clothing battle. I just don't get it! Seriously how can this be that this kid HATES me putting clothes on him. Not all the time thank god, but it has become the new trend for our family. Plus, I seriously have some cute stuff for him to wear AND he is usually cold. Or do you really want to sit in a dirty diaper...come on! That cannot be comfortable. He wants to do EVERYTHING himself and eat whatever you are eating, but then chew it and spit it out like a cow. Hehe!
We took his toddler bed/crib down, it was never going to be used and just put a mattress on the floor. My brother and sister-in-law did that with their son and it is brilliant. Our only problem is that our mattress is as hard as our floor so we need to go shopping. He slept on a futon forever with his foster mother so we need to try to match that somehow. He is sleeping well. He wakes up usually after a few hours of sleep upset but then goes back to bed after a half hour or so for the night. I can already see his teenage years as he HATES to wake up. It takes him forever to get going and if I wake him up from a nap...watch out! It literally cracks me up. Then here is me, mommy, saying change your diaper, lets put this cute outfit on you, blah blah. He is probably thinking to himself, "You have GOT TO be kidding me lady!"
In Korea they really do worship their children and they are rarely told "no" until they go to school. On May 5th they even have a holiday called, "Children's Day (It is a National Holiday)." When they are younger they get the run of the roost. So we take this kid to American where he doesn't understand what we are saying, he hears "no" a lot, eats food (since our foster mother was all about the bottle) and we don't let him do whatever he wants. Although, when he becomes aware he will realize it is Children's Day pretty much everyday at the Nelson's. We are going to give Cy so much opportunity and we will always keep his South Korean roots. That was the whole point of traveling around and just hanging out to understand the country.
Along with us keeping his culture around us, next year we will start going to Heritage Camps. This is a great way for him to make friends and stay connected to his culture. Our agency is also right down the road and they host monthly events and get together.
Here is the good stuff happening, I don't want to forget this part because he is doing pretty well. He is starting to eat. I know it probably sounds silly but I want him to eat food so bad! He loves Kiwi, Strawberries, Italian Ice, Quinoa, rice, Seaweed chips, French Fries and anything someone else is eating. He really enjoys playing in the backyard and hanging out.
Pretty much everything our foster mother told us...he doesn't like or really say or do, so we are starting from square one.
If anyone has tips on putting lotion on your child, putting clothes on your child or changing your child's diaper when it needs to be changed it would be greatly appreciated.
Surprisingly his crying frustrations don't overwhelm me really, which surprises me. The most overwhelming is the diaper/clothing battle. I just don't get it! Seriously how can this be that this kid HATES me putting clothes on him. Not all the time thank god, but it has become the new trend for our family. Plus, I seriously have some cute stuff for him to wear AND he is usually cold. Or do you really want to sit in a dirty diaper...come on! That cannot be comfortable. He wants to do EVERYTHING himself and eat whatever you are eating, but then chew it and spit it out like a cow. Hehe!
We took his toddler bed/crib down, it was never going to be used and just put a mattress on the floor. My brother and sister-in-law did that with their son and it is brilliant. Our only problem is that our mattress is as hard as our floor so we need to go shopping. He slept on a futon forever with his foster mother so we need to try to match that somehow. He is sleeping well. He wakes up usually after a few hours of sleep upset but then goes back to bed after a half hour or so for the night. I can already see his teenage years as he HATES to wake up. It takes him forever to get going and if I wake him up from a nap...watch out! It literally cracks me up. Then here is me, mommy, saying change your diaper, lets put this cute outfit on you, blah blah. He is probably thinking to himself, "You have GOT TO be kidding me lady!"
In Korea they really do worship their children and they are rarely told "no" until they go to school. On May 5th they even have a holiday called, "Children's Day (It is a National Holiday)." When they are younger they get the run of the roost. So we take this kid to American where he doesn't understand what we are saying, he hears "no" a lot, eats food (since our foster mother was all about the bottle) and we don't let him do whatever he wants. Although, when he becomes aware he will realize it is Children's Day pretty much everyday at the Nelson's. We are going to give Cy so much opportunity and we will always keep his South Korean roots. That was the whole point of traveling around and just hanging out to understand the country.
Along with us keeping his culture around us, next year we will start going to Heritage Camps. This is a great way for him to make friends and stay connected to his culture. Our agency is also right down the road and they host monthly events and get together.
Here is the good stuff happening, I don't want to forget this part because he is doing pretty well. He is starting to eat. I know it probably sounds silly but I want him to eat food so bad! He loves Kiwi, Strawberries, Italian Ice, Quinoa, rice, Seaweed chips, French Fries and anything someone else is eating. He really enjoys playing in the backyard and hanging out.
Pretty much everything our foster mother told us...he doesn't like or really say or do, so we are starting from square one.
If anyone has tips on putting lotion on your child, putting clothes on your child or changing your child's diaper when it needs to be changed it would be greatly appreciated.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Beginning of Second Week
It is the beginning of our second week with Cy. Things are going better then expected. I have to say my body has never been as sore as carrying a 25lb kid around all day! He literally wants ME to carry him all the time! He hasn't really played with many of his toys, but enjoys Jeremy's guitar, loves Backyardagains, Yo Yo Gabba, playing with the hose,this VTech car deal we got him, the Cozy Coupe, music, etc... He does find the garage door opening and closing a fascination! He literally wakes up with the thought of opening and closing the garage door! It is so exciting for him, not so for us. :)
I think we are still in the mode of is he grieving or is this a toddler tantrum. However, being only the beginning of the second week we are treating a lot as the adjustment period. Do du deo (however you spell it) it my least favorite word. Our friend Christy told us what it means so that has helped, but there are these stream of words beginning before the do du deo that are spoken with such conviction. He says it all the time with everything.
Diaper changes and putting clothes on have their moments, it either goes well or it is World War II. I am not sure if it is a toddler thing or is it just intimate and we are strangers. My friend Leslie let me borrow her "What to Expect When Having a Toddler" book and everything he does seems just a toddler to me but who knows.
This week will be trying new adventures and maybe a day for us at daycare with him to see how it goes (first time is us being with him there for an hour or so). Since after this week I go back in two weeks. It seems short and a lot of stuff to accomplish.
I think we are still in the mode of is he grieving or is this a toddler tantrum. However, being only the beginning of the second week we are treating a lot as the adjustment period. Do du deo (however you spell it) it my least favorite word. Our friend Christy told us what it means so that has helped, but there are these stream of words beginning before the do du deo that are spoken with such conviction. He says it all the time with everything.
Diaper changes and putting clothes on have their moments, it either goes well or it is World War II. I am not sure if it is a toddler thing or is it just intimate and we are strangers. My friend Leslie let me borrow her "What to Expect When Having a Toddler" book and everything he does seems just a toddler to me but who knows.
This week will be trying new adventures and maybe a day for us at daycare with him to see how it goes (first time is us being with him there for an hour or so). Since after this week I go back in two weeks. It seems short and a lot of stuff to accomplish.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Pictures or our Arrival!
My friends Adrienne and Carri have a great photography business. Adrienne came for our arrival on Friday night at 10pm as a friend to welcome us home and as our families budding photographer to capture the moments!
Captured by Carri & Adrienne
Captured by Carri & Adrienne
First Week
We have made our first week with Cy and all things considered things are moving as good as can be expected. He still really hasn't eaten but our doctor said it will come with time. What can you expect when someone was literally on formula for the first 2 years of their life. However, I keep trying food all the time with him, the hard part is that you waste a lot. He really seems to like to eat what we eat too.
He is still more attached to me but does well when I leave with Jeremy. We tried a new plan last night. Jeremy sleeps with him through the night and I sleep in our room. The split shifts in the middle of the night were killing us and Jeremy is and has always been a better sleeper. It takes me forever to fall asleep and when I would wake up with him I think I am a little more stressed. We have had people over in our first week but haven't left the house with him. There is so much out there on what to do, however the notes from his foster mom were that he really likes people. We figure small doses as long as he then came back to us were fine. We haven't heard from our social worker yet, so we will see what she says. We are venturing out today for the first time to Lee Martinez Farm in Fort Collins. Figure for a few hours then a car ride for a nap will be good.
My biggest worries is if we are doing things okay. I guess until our social worker contacts us we are just winging it.
Cy's First Week Likes:
I want to thank the love and support or our family and friends. Thank you for the food, understanding, errand running, etc... I want to thank Christy (fellow adopter), thank you for being there for me via text message! It is nice to talk with someone who knows what you are going through.
He is still more attached to me but does well when I leave with Jeremy. We tried a new plan last night. Jeremy sleeps with him through the night and I sleep in our room. The split shifts in the middle of the night were killing us and Jeremy is and has always been a better sleeper. It takes me forever to fall asleep and when I would wake up with him I think I am a little more stressed. We have had people over in our first week but haven't left the house with him. There is so much out there on what to do, however the notes from his foster mom were that he really likes people. We figure small doses as long as he then came back to us were fine. We haven't heard from our social worker yet, so we will see what she says. We are venturing out today for the first time to Lee Martinez Farm in Fort Collins. Figure for a few hours then a car ride for a nap will be good.
My biggest worries is if we are doing things okay. I guess until our social worker contacts us we are just winging it.
Cy's First Week Likes:
- Seaweed chips
- Green beans
- Formula (haha! I had to put that in for him in the future)
- David and Melissa's cereal mix for Owen
- Water -- he didn't really drink water either. Weird I know.
- His teddy bear his foster mom gave him on his 1st birthday
- He ate mac and cheese once.
- Being outside.
- He says Hi, Bye, Okay really well
- He did eat some of Owen's sandwich
I want to thank the love and support or our family and friends. Thank you for the food, understanding, errand running, etc... I want to thank Christy (fellow adopter), thank you for being there for me via text message! It is nice to talk with someone who knows what you are going through.
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Settling In...
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| First stroller ride around the block. He loved it! |
His biggest struggles are when he wakes up from a nap or sleep. He cries and I am sure he is crying out for his foster mother and father. I feel so bad and you can never understand the "silent tears" until you actually see them for yourself. It is so painful to not even know what he is saying. I wish I knew someone who spoke Korean as there are a few words he repeats and we literally have no idea. As for sign language we try but still a little early.
I assumed we would have like a few feeding times and all would be good. We think his comfort is his bottle. He has a bottle 24/7. I have been filling it with water sometimes because he never drinks water. He really likes apple juice and his formula. Not to keen on the soy milk or milk yet. He LOVES strawberries, strawberry yogurt and that is about it right now. He really hasn't eaten that much yet. We tried to give him some organic cookies and a piece of a banana once and he just spit it up.
He seems to be okay with both Jeremy and I which is good. It helps a lot with us taking turns. I can't wait until he will eat something solid. I have no idea what you even feed a toddler and feel my cupboard is filled with cookies. LOL
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| Cy cuddling |
Peace and Love
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Last Day in Seoul
Today is our last day in Seoul. I can't believe it as I have waited for this day since we got here. Our time has been invaluable. I feel that I have so much emotion for this country that will come across to Cy. Today we are going to go see Changdeokgung Palace and Secret Garden and Jongmyo Royal Shrine. The rest of the day will be last minute errands, packing and trying not to burst with excitement! Our journey to get a lot of stuff for Cy for "Gotcha Day" has been a success. We got him a lot of Korean stuff and I know he will love it. We definitely need to start saving as I know we will be back with him multiple times. Most adopted children will come back with their families to meet their foster parents.
Last night we walked around town and just ate street food and checked out the night scene in Seoul. We have enjoyed talking with these lovely Aussies here with their children. They are such wonderful people and we welcome their stories on their adoptions. Between the three families there are a lot of kids so they have a lot of experience!
Today it will sink in that we get to keep him forever tomorrow and these 8 days will seem to have gone by super fast. I can't wait to bring Cy back to his home country a country that will now be our second country. People use to make fun of me all the time because I wanted to live out of country and now we won't necessarily live out of country but South Korea will be a culture and country that our family will embrace as our own.
Peace and Love
Last night we walked around town and just ate street food and checked out the night scene in Seoul. We have enjoyed talking with these lovely Aussies here with their children. They are such wonderful people and we welcome their stories on their adoptions. Between the three families there are a lot of kids so they have a lot of experience!
Today it will sink in that we get to keep him forever tomorrow and these 8 days will seem to have gone by super fast. I can't wait to bring Cy back to his home country a country that will now be our second country. People use to make fun of me all the time because I wanted to live out of country and now we won't necessarily live out of country but South Korea will be a culture and country that our family will embrace as our own.
Peace and Love
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Hump Day
Only two more days until we get Cy! I can't stand it I am so excited. As much as I feel this traveling is more then valuable (especially after talking to other families) I am ready to hold our son. We went to the Korean War Museum yesterday and it was amazing. I feel awful that I didn't have much knowledge around the Korean war, however after walking around the museum my knowledge of Korea is much greater. This poor country has been beat up by everyone, the Mongols, Japan, North Korea, etc. It has been resiliant and fought hard. Learning through our tour at the museum with the help of many nations (including the US) South Korea is the free society it is today. The Operation into Inchon involved some 75,000 troops and 261 naval vessels, and led to the recapture of capital Seoul two weeks later.
The battle began on September 15, 1950, and ended September 19. Through a surprise amphibious assault far from the Pusan Perimeter that UN and South Korean forces were desperately defending, the largely undefended city of Incheon was secured after being bombed by UN forces. The battle ended a string of victories by the invading North Korea, which was supported by the Soviet Union and China. The subsequent UN recapture of Seoul partially severed North Korea supply lines in South Korea. The majority of United Nations ground forces involved were U.S Marines commanded by General Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur was the driving force behind the operation and he landed in Incheon with minimal chances for success and came out successful! This one action changed the course of the Korean War for the better.
Here is a link to more information on the Korean War.
The battle began on September 15, 1950, and ended September 19. Through a surprise amphibious assault far from the Pusan Perimeter that UN and South Korean forces were desperately defending, the largely undefended city of Incheon was secured after being bombed by UN forces. The battle ended a string of victories by the invading North Korea, which was supported by the Soviet Union and China. The subsequent UN recapture of Seoul partially severed North Korea supply lines in South Korea. The majority of United Nations ground forces involved were U.S Marines commanded by General Douglas MacArthur. MacArthur was the driving force behind the operation and he landed in Incheon with minimal chances for success and came out successful! This one action changed the course of the Korean War for the better.
Here is a link to more information on the Korean War.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Back from Gyeongju
We are back at the guesthouse in Seoul and it feels good! It kind of feels like home and everyone welcomes you back. Gyeongju was great! I would not stay in such a fancy hotel next time, however we only had a week to come out so what can you do. I finally got 6 hours worth of sleep so that was really nice, mind you not it was with a little help. We got their right as the Cherry Blossoms were blooming and it was such an amazing spectacle. We visted Anapji, Bulguk-Sa, Grotto and biked around the town. There is only Korean food in Gyeongju and we had the best Korean BBQ! It was funny but they put us in this off shoot of a room with these four Korean men who had gone through 8 or so bombers of Hite Beer and 6 or so bottles of Soju so they were feeling no pain. Then there was us Americans who know idea who how to do Korean BBQ and they just kind of left us there and we totally smoked up the room. That was hilarious.
Today it is un-godly humid and cloudy day with some rain possible for the evening. We are going to the Hyundai department store (Hyundai owned is everywhere around here) and the food courts are pretty good and cheap here and we are headed there to eat and then off to a museum.
I definitley forsee us coming back here multiple times when Cy is older. We are hearing a lot of kids want to know information on thier birth parents and other information and is seems important. We should start saving now. It does seem VERY important. I like the connections I am finding and hope to keep in touch in the future. I see me needing to email them often.
Today it is un-godly humid and cloudy day with some rain possible for the evening. We are going to the Hyundai department store (Hyundai owned is everywhere around here) and the food courts are pretty good and cheap here and we are headed there to eat and then off to a museum.
I definitley forsee us coming back here multiple times when Cy is older. We are hearing a lot of kids want to know information on thier birth parents and other information and is seems important. We should start saving now. It does seem VERY important. I like the connections I am finding and hope to keep in touch in the future. I see me needing to email them often.
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Off to Gyeongju
We are headed out this morning on the KTX to Gyeongju for a few night stay before heading back to Seoul. I have to say I wasn't sure how I would feel about seeing Cy on Thursday and then traveling for a week and it has been mildly difficult. The good old Catholic guilt sets in thinking why are we traveling this long? We have waited so long to see him and now we are just galivanting around Korea. Jeremy doesn't have the same thoughts as me as he is cool with traveling around. The one area where I feel good is that we get to really see Korean culture. Being from Fort Collins and where he will grow up there is not very much Korean culture. We can explain history, people and stories to him as that would be beneficial. But a part of me wishes we were leaving on Monday or Tuesday back to the states. Then another part of me is seriously nervous like, we are bringing this child home! It is going to be rough, is a month at home with him going to be enough? What I have seriously loved is meeting everyone in the guesthouse, making connections and hearing stories. Each family we met has been very involved in keeping the Korean culture alive and current in thier everyday lives and that has been very beneficial to hear and see. They have come back to Korea with thier children two and three times.
Korean food has been suprisingly good. I didn't know much about it and we have eaten at very traditional places. Korean BBQ is suprisingly my least favorite over here. We had the best lunch in Insa-dong which was this dumpling soup! They also put jalapenos or chili paste in everything! I have enjoyed the kimchi at certain places. They use metal chopsticks here which was interesting. Seoul is a very clean and orderly place. The subway system is in English and Korean and Jeremy stated with all of his travels the easiest to get around. Of course the train station is where you see most of the homeless and crazies.Yesterday we went to a traditional tea house and shopped in Insa-dong. We mostly took it easy because I was on 2 hours of sleep and my knees were killing me. I think 5 to 6 hours of sleep might be my max.
We are headed out this morning on the KTX to Gyeongju for a few night stay before heading back to Seoul. What is exciting about Gyeongju is that it is more country side then urban. It will be nice to get out of the city for a few days. The call Gyeongju the museum without walls. It was the capital of the Silla dynasty for over a 1000 years.
After we get back from Gyeongju we are going to Pyeonchek (sp?) and Asan to see where Cy was born, hopefully the orphanage and where his mother is from. Both places are just a few hours south of Seoul.
As much as I am going to enjoy the travels, I am seriously counting the days down until we leave on Friday. I just want to be walking into our home at 11pm on Friday. :)
(PS if there are errors I apologize, my whole page is in Korean and I have no idea what to click to check stuff)
Korean food has been suprisingly good. I didn't know much about it and we have eaten at very traditional places. Korean BBQ is suprisingly my least favorite over here. We had the best lunch in Insa-dong which was this dumpling soup! They also put jalapenos or chili paste in everything! I have enjoyed the kimchi at certain places. They use metal chopsticks here which was interesting. Seoul is a very clean and orderly place. The subway system is in English and Korean and Jeremy stated with all of his travels the easiest to get around. Of course the train station is where you see most of the homeless and crazies.Yesterday we went to a traditional tea house and shopped in Insa-dong. We mostly took it easy because I was on 2 hours of sleep and my knees were killing me. I think 5 to 6 hours of sleep might be my max.
We are headed out this morning on the KTX to Gyeongju for a few night stay before heading back to Seoul. What is exciting about Gyeongju is that it is more country side then urban. It will be nice to get out of the city for a few days. The call Gyeongju the museum without walls. It was the capital of the Silla dynasty for over a 1000 years.
After we get back from Gyeongju we are going to Pyeonchek (sp?) and Asan to see where Cy was born, hopefully the orphanage and where his mother is from. Both places are just a few hours south of Seoul.
As much as I am going to enjoy the travels, I am seriously counting the days down until we leave on Friday. I just want to be walking into our home at 11pm on Friday. :)
(PS if there are errors I apologize, my whole page is in Korean and I have no idea what to click to check stuff)
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