기다리다 = To Wait

I so wish I were buying these hats with the hope of seeing them (in person) on my sweet boy and girl.  Praying for patience and movement in our process this week.

Happy birthday baby girl!

Happy birthday sweet girl!  We can't wait to see that big personality in person and hope your foster family is spoiling you big time! 사랑해

생일 축하해 Asa

Happy Birthday Asa!  Omma hopes you were spoiled today for your first birthday and that we never spend another one apart.  :) 

Some Days are Harder Than Others

Today is just one of those days.

I could blame a number of things I suppose.  I don't doubt that worry over Serenity's cleft palate surgery this month is at the top of this list of things to blame.  I would seriously consider selling one of my kidney's if it meant I could be with her during it all!  My agency doesn't allow you to travel before time to bring them home though (money or not) and I can hardly imagine what selling an organ does to your court appearance interview.

Judge: So I see you sold a kidney last year.  Could you tell me more about why you would do such a thing?  Me: Oh, um that?  Well you see...  Wayne: Wait, when did you sell a kidney?! 

Guess I'll have to hold on to both kidneys for now...

Not nearly as worrisome, but still bothersome, is that I'm also waiting on Asa's newest stats and pictures.  I know he was likely in the office for his monthly checkup last week and that it is (hopefully) only a matter of time before I get a new glimpse of my little boy.

When it comes down to it--REALLY--it's that I'm impatient.  I know the physicians taking care of Serenity will be just as good as they are here in the states.  That me being there wouldn't be a comfort to her at this point.  I know that Asa's pictures will make it to me eventually.  I also know that little bugger will likely avoid the camera again if he has a chance anyway.

But I'm already tired of waiting.  After only four months since our referral and really only two months since our official waiting started.

How in the world am I going to make it another year or more without holding those little hands and kissing those plump cheeks?

Most of my family and friends are well aware of the fact that I am not a very patient person.  Perhaps no one could be patient in this situation, knowing your children are halfway around the world.  But if I'm honest impatience is one of my larger flaws and one I truly hope I am going to conquer this year.

God is surely teaching me to wait and reminding me that this is only the beginning of my learning when two toddlers are on the other side of this waiting. I truly hope I can start to focus more on what I'm being taught about patience in this process so that I'm ready to apply what I've learned at the end of it all.

I'm sure Asa and Serenity will appreciate it if I do. :)

월요일이에요 (It's Monday)

Every Sunday is the same for me lately.  I don't mean with worship, because that is always something I look forward to, rather once I leave the church building and head home.  When the weekend is clearly coming to an end and I can feel the work week pushing it's way back into my head.

Every Sunday night now I come home from church and as I set my alarm clock I can't help but think to myself,  it's already Monday in Seoul.

I can't wait until I experience my first Monday in Korea and can finally think...

it's just Sunday in St. Louis.

ATK, Fingerprinting and First Care Packages

March 29th was finally our official ATK!  Basically it means we've been Accepted To Korea and that Asa and Serenity are officially our referral.  After over 10 weeks of having our referral but not being official it was a relief to move forward to this important step.  

ATK means we are officially into the wait as well.  That wait could have us bringing them home any time from March to September 2014.  We hope.  Things are a bit up in the air in Korea as new laws regarding adoption were put into place last August and so no one has traveled under the new laws yet.  Hopefully in the next few months we'll have a little better idea when our kiddos will make it home.

April brought with it our fingerprinting appointment with USCIS (Citizenship & Immigration Services).  We expected that we might need to wait for an hour or more even but we made it in an hour before our appointment and were in and out in 10 minutes!  I'm sure we got lucky, but it made for a nice rest of the day.
   
April also brought our first chance to send Asa and Serenity's care packages.  I can't post their photos online because of our agency restrictions, but if I could you would see my daughter dressed in all neutrals.  At 9 months old my girly needs some pinks and purples in her life.  As someone who has generally rejected pink in all of its various shades I can hardly believe I'm writing that!  I guess having a boy and a girl to buy for at the same time means I'm much more open to having a little girly girl since I get to have all the fun of buying boy stuff too.

Anyway, lots of things to sign, notarize and mail off the first quarter of this year and probably not a whole lot going on for the next several months.  At least while we wait we should keep getting updates of our kiddos to keep us holding on.  Adoption is a lot of "hurry up and wait" and sometimes it's hard to not wish away the months.  Please pray for us, our kiddos and their foster moms as we continue to wait. :)

March means

8 months since Asa and Serenity were brought into this world

7 months since we realized adoption would be the only way we would want to grow our fam

6 months since I started learning Korean

5 months since our first application to Dillon

2 months since we received our referral for our two chubby cheeked kiddos :)

1 month until we see our first videos of our kiddos...and hopefully hear their voices for the first time as well!

 

11-16 more months before they are home with us forever.

 

It is going to be a long year...

 

Oh...and I guess I'll turn 30 this month as well.  Yay? :)