{big & strong}

my mom just emailed me this photo

of Claire & my Dad

this is the face they make after

Claire eats

because as we all know

food makes you 

big & strong

THIS is why they created the word 'Re-DONK-ulous'

On Saturday, Claire went to the 3rd birthday party

of one of her little girlfriends.

It. Was. Amazing.

Not just amazing, but 'putallotherpartiestoshame' amazing!

The theme was 'Alice in Wonderland'

(the Disney version)

I got there a bit early, so I was able to get some pictures

without all the twenty-seven 3 year olds 

that would be arriving.

Get ready... I took a lot.

When you first arrive, you have to go through

the Rabbit Hole

Then you come to the door

Don't forget the special drink

So you can shrink down to fit through the door

Walk through the gate, and follow the signs

The Queen's House of Cards

The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

{complete with a kid size table}

The Pink Birthday Throne & a Close Up of the Center Pieces

Yummy Cookies & Delicious Apple Juice Tea

And a Tea Party wouldn't be complete without

ALICE!

{Claire stalked this poor girl. She followed her everywhere}

I'm not sure what the girls were looking at

but Claire's expression cracks me up

So a BIG Happy Birthday to Matea

I am SO GLAD that you and Claire are friends!

{and it's not just because your Mom knows how to throw a party!}

Taking One for the Team

One thing about making hair accessories for girls

is that I have a built in 'model'

that I can use at a moments notice

(and she's pretty cheap labor)

But now that little Charlie will be joining us soon

I have to start 'expanding'.

And no, I'm NOT making these myself.

I'm 'partnering' with another company.

This way I can have exclusive prints 

for my customers. And only

sell them when I feel like it. 

(which will start July 5th if anyone is interested)

So until your brother arrives, 

you'll be taking one for the team, Claire.

Thanks a million!

Going for a Walk

To get out of the heat, I decided to go up to my parent's house - where honestly, it felt a good 15 degrees COOLER than it does where I live. Claire was super excited because I can't think of a person she loves more than my Dad. Grandpa Dean has been a long standing favorite... for quite some time. So after we had lunch outside on the porch, my Dad and Claire took off to do fun things and maybe go on an adventure or two. A little while later we were called out to get a glimpse of some of the highlights. 

Claire demonstrated  how she can jump

while holding a rope.

The Walking Stick Duo

The Walking Stick Duo in motion

going up the path to the...

Hammock!

Apparently Claire has to sit with my Dad 

because when she tried to sit by herself...

she fell out. 

(or rather it flipped over)

Overall, it was a fun way to spend the day.

So thanks a ton Mom & Dad!

New WBC

Yesterday we received a new WBC for Charlie.

{this is where I would insert a new photo of him}

There weren't any new photos.

But beggars can't be choosers, right?

So here's the rundown:

He gained just over a pound and now weighs

14.96 lbs

He had a big case of diarrhea

(enough to where they notated it. hoping its

just a quick bug, and nothing serious)

He's starting to sit on his own

(ranked 'poor' for stability)

He can pull himself up to the standing position

(ranked a '+' for that!)

He's babbling

(I wonder if it sounds different in Korean?)

Overall it was a good WBC. Today Charlie turns 9 months and his WBC was done on the 15th. He's currently assessed at a 7-8 month developmental level (which we expected) and he's increased his intake of Nutramigen (oh how the dollar signs are increasing as well...). One of the great things about the adoption forums I'm a part of, is that you get to 'meet' a ton of different people... and chances are, some of these people have experience in what you're going through. I was actually able to talk to 2 different ladies who have kids with some of the same GI issues as Charlie. One person in particular, her son is now 15 years old. He leads a totally normal and healthy life, and it was  so encouraging to hear her tell me their 'story'. One of the things she told me is that her son never really crawled. He started walking and crawling around the same time (just over a year). Which actually makes a TON of sense to me. I would think their little bellies are just a bit more sensitive than the 'average' kid. Just hearing some of the things I can 'expect', was so incredibly helpful. Things I never even thought about - but again, made total sense to me. 

Yesterday I was able to mail off our I600 and the I600a. Now we really can just sit back and relax wait our turn. I doubt it'll be very relaxing, but I'm certainly going to try and keep my craziness under control this time. From what I understand, we have a good month before I can start freaking out over what's taking so long. But I think in total my wait for approval of both forms could be around the 2-3 month mark (I THINK). 

Alright, I think I've bored you all enough. I'm off to get some lunch. 

Hope Is Fading

Today on the adoption forums that I'm a part of, 

someone posted the link to this short video.

It totally made me cry. 

I don't believe that everyone is called to adopt.

But I think we are all called to help.

And that 'help' can be in many different forms. 

Maybe it's sponsoring a child. Maybe it's offering support

to an adoptive family who just brought their child home.

Maybe it's just through prayer.

All I know is after watching this, I just 

wished there was something more 

I could do.

Hope is Fading from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.

Getting the Crazies under Control

So today was a much better day. I don't feel as crazy and I'm hoping that this 'feeling' will last me the next 4-6 months. To help erase the pain of yesterday, I did the only logical thing possible, and turned to my beloved KDramas and ate ramen with my new stainless steel chopsticks.

I bought this super cool set at Little Seoul's. 

Metal chopsticks are unique to Korea and since everyone

in my Korean Dramas eat with them, 

I pretty much have to as well. 

They use the long spoons to eat rice - they don't eat

rice with their chopsticks. And I have to say, there's

something about these spoons and chopsticks that makes

makes the food on the KDramas look so delicious!

I even want to get the pot they use to make ramen in

and use the lid as the plate!

(if you watch KDramas you know what I'm talking about)

Currently I'm watching 'Dandelion Family' 

but I have to wait until tomorrow for the next episode.

So I've been dabbling into 'Pink Lipstick' which

has turned out to be super crazy. 

I found this flow-chart that helps

explain how everything is tied together.

I think that pretty much explains everything.

And in total randomness, I noticed this

while Claire was eating lunch:

Seriously? SERIOUSLY! ... oh, seriously?

Charlie usually has his WBC's during the first 2 weeks

of the month. Mostly around the 

BEGINNING of the month. 

So I was really hoping that this morning 

when I checked my email there 

would be the June WBC.

Of course it wasn't there.

So I was like, 

Seriously?

My plan was to head down to the Arden Mall in 

the early afternoon to check out some sales

and then go across the street to our branch

office and pick up our legals - since

I was told they should arrive on

Friday. I called to verify what time FedEx

normally comes and I was told he had already

come and gone and that my legals weren't there.

Which was SUPER frustrating for me. And I 

was super angry for a good while.

So I was like, 

SERIOUSLY!

And then a few hours later I got a phone call

that my legals just arrived and I could come get them.

So I was like, 

oh... seriously?

You know that verse that talks about removing the 'plank' from your own eye? Well that's pretty much me at this point. It's embarrassing to admit, but I kinda think I know what I'm doing in this whole 'adoption thing'. I mean - I adopted domestically, I'm an International adoptee, and I've done a fair amount of 'research' in all the different types of adoption. I 'understand' the 'waiting game' and I think I have a really healthy perspective on it. 

I have even looked at some of the Adoptive Parents in the forums I'm a part of, and thought, 'Wow... I'll never be THAT crazy when I get my referral...' Famous last words, right? Shame on me for ever making such an ignorant, judgmental, and mean spirited comment. 

But the joke's on me as I think I'm literally losing my mind. Seriously! I'm really starting to think that the Adoption gods have created this last portion of the 'journey' (referral to travel) with the sole purpose of screwing with your mind and making you go crazy. For reals. 

I absolutely HATE that I have no control over this next part. And nothing will be 'consistent' and there's nothing I can do about it. There is no definitely timeline that you can follow, and you just have to wait it out and see when your number gets called next. People 'behind' you in line might shoot forwards ahead, or you might get approval before someone who's been waiting 3 months for the same thing. There's just no knowing, and that drives me MAD!

I feel like we have so long to wait to get things approved, but at the same time I feel like the past two weeks have flown by and were wasted since I didn't have my legals. It's the strangest feeling to experience time going too fast and too slow at the same time. The effect that it has on me is that it makes me angry. (I know... not good)

Anyway, I always try to remind myself that during 'trials', it usually means that God is trying to teach you something. So the best thing you can do is to hurry up and 'learn it' so you can get through the trial. I have a feeling this 'trial' has to do with patience. Which is really annoying. I know you can't play 'reverse psychology' on God, but I've really tried to NOT ask for patience because I know it just means that you're going to have to deal with some crazy, frustrating stuff to 'teach' you patience. 

So all I'm going to say, is if someone out there is mad at me, and asked God to give me a lesson in 'patience', I'm really sorry for what ever I've done. And could you please rectify the situation by maybe giving me a lesson in 'joy' because it's been a while since I've received Charlie's last WBC (Well Baby Check up) and I'm starting to get super jealous when others receive theirs. 

See. I told you I'm going crazy.

(I need a piece of chocolate cake.)

She's Bilingual

I kid. I kid. 

Claire's not bilingual, but I started throwing out

some Korean words for when Charlie

comes home. 

I told her that she can call me

Omma

(Oh-mah)

and she can call Daddy

Appa

(Ap-pah)

and she will be Charlie's 

Noona

(nooh-nah)

she didn't care for that one very much

Every so often we'll go over the words again. I'll ask her 'what do you call me?' and she'll respond with Omma. It's kind of cute, but it's not something we do every day. 

Over the weekend I went to a local fabric store to pick up some cute fabrics for a Give-A-Way I'll be doing in July. Bob had to work so I got the super fun task of looking for fabric while having a 3 year old tag along (please know that was written with really strong sarcasm). Once inside Claire settled in at the table where the 'pattern books' are located. Fortunately we had the store mostly to ourselves so I let her sit while I roamed through the fabric aisles (which in reality are about 20 feet long - not a far distance - so don't worry). She started calling out 'Mom - where are you?' Even though I knew that she knew where I was. So I yelled back, 'Claire, I'm just looking at this fabric, I'll be there in a sec - just follow my voice!' Which of course she didn't, but instead took it as an opportunity to yell. So while I kind of started to zone out, she kept talking (which has become a trend in our household - that girl can talk!) Then all of the sudden I realized that she was saying, 'Omma! Omma! Come here - Omma!' 

I have to say...

that made me smile

But I probably shouldn't get too excited.

She also has been known to call me

'Mr. Rachel'

Not that it really matters...

But I'm really feeling like I need a change with my hair. I'm trying to grow it out and it's at that stage where you just find it really annoying. I need to get it re-shaped because it's been forever since I last had it cut. Plus, it's just too 'heavy' in certain spots, so it would be nice to get the layers re-done. Even my flat iron is having trouble taming my 'do'.

So yes, a haircut is most definitely in order, but I'm also starting to get the itch for some color. After about 15 years of coloring my hair, I can actually say that it's back to being 100% virgin: non-colored hair. Can you believe it?! I can't... and to be honest, I thought my hair was a dark to medium brown. But no, it's quite black. Very black.

Even though it's night time, there's no

exaggeration of how dark my hair is.

And I realize that being Asian means that it's quite 'normal' to have black hair, but I'm thinking that I might want to add a little 'somethin' - somethin'. You know,  to mix it up a bit. 

So does anyone have any suggestions? 

I'm seriously open to any and all ideas!

Care Package... almost completed!

Who would have thought that putting together a care package would be so hard?! I love looking at what other people have done (or are doing) because it gives me ideas. I was SO excited to think that I could finally start putting a package together... but then I kind of drew a blank. (thank goodness there are so many great Moms out there who know what they're doing!)

I am so very fortunate to have a super kind and generous friend who has offered to deliver my care package when they go to Korea (which will hopefully be within the next month!). So in terms of 'size', I had a lot of breathing room... which I think also contributed to making it even harder for me to decide what to put in it. 

But here's what I have so far 

(I apologize for the 'yellow' pictures we have bad lighting in our house)

Liquid Gold

Nutramigen - Charlie's expensive Formula

Is it wrong to pray that they transition him off it 

before he comes home?

some super cute outfits & shoes

(but maybe I'm biased)

a stuffed Dinosaur & a Monkey blanket

We got the Monkey at Target with the hopes that

we can buy more and not have the traumatizing Bunny 'issue' 

that we have with Claire. 

somes toys & a small photo album

(we still have to get pictures printed)

I've heard that giving Vitamins & Jelly Bellys 

are 'common' gifts to Foster Families. 

So there you go.

Anyway - that's basically what our care package will consist of. OH - I still want to get some Desitin because I heard that babies tend to get more diaper rashes in the summer in Korea because of the heat and humidity. Hopefully it goes over well... and even more than that, I hope we get a photo of Charlie! It seems like most people get photos of the kiddos with their care packages, so hopefully the trend will continue with us. 

Well it's about time!

MAN!

The past couple of weeks have just FLOWN by.

 Seriously! I can't believe how quickly they've passed. 

It's June? What?!

On the adoption front  -  I FINALLY got our paperwork sent in. I just had to get a few things lined up and a ton of stuff notarized, but it's done. Mailed. Finished. (well... I actually have 2 more forms, but those will be on their way shortly - the important stuff is all sent in.) Hopefully our 'legals' won't take too long to get to us, and then we can move onto the next phase.

But enough about that.

This past weekend we spent Memorial Day weekend with my family - and my brother and his wife came down. It's been awhile since we've all been together, so on Saturday, everyone met at my sister's house. We had good food, great conversations, and one heck of a Kick Ball Game. 

Here's Ty - getting ready to make contact

 Here's Josiah - yeah... he missed contact

And Uncle Ben - nice form!

Unfortunately my camera battery died after these shots. My sister's memory card was full. And wouldn't you know it, my memory card wouldn't fit in her camera. So that was the end of that. 

Until the next day when we left for San Francisco 

to go see WICKED!

Alright. My photos won't load. 

(And it's way too late to try and figure it out.)

Just know that we had a super great time, and the show was fabulous.

My all time favorite number was 'Defying Gravity'. 

I think I sat there with my mouth open, not moving...

it was that good!

So if you haven't seen it yet, GO! 

You won't regret it - I promise!