*Edit: I've moved the new pics into an album called "Friday and Saturday pics*
It's hard to believe it was only last Saturday (Friday night) that Alex came home to us. So much has happened in just one week, and Alex has taken it all in stride.
He continues to sleep amazingly well, if at odd times. He's now sleeping about 10-11 hours straight, but tends to want to go down around 4:00-5:00 p.m. and get up around 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. We pushed him back a bit today, and we'll try to keep moving his bedtime back so he'll soon be going to sleep around 7:30 or 8:00 hopefully.
We spent the day in Toronto yesterday taking Alex to see a pediatrician who specializes in international adoption. He was very impressed with how happy and healthy Alex is, and he found nothing to cause him any concern. Regardless of how healthy Alex appears, it's still recommended to do a wide variety of screening tests, so we also had an appointment at Sick Kids to draw some blood.
The people at Sick Kids were amazing and very patient with a nervous mom with a new baby. Alex flirted with tons of people, and even though he cried while they drew the blood, he calmed down the minute we picked him up to comfort him.
All in all, it was a relatively long day for the little guy (not to mention his parents), so he crashed on the way home in the car and slept through the night except when I woke him to change him and give him a bottle as he'd not had one since earlier in the afternoon.
Alex is a great eater, although he doesn't seem to like peas as much as he likes carrots. He ate them, but you could just tell he wasn't as impressed with them (and I can't help but agree with him... peas are blechy).
We have Chris' sister and our nieces coming over for a visit on Sunday, and I'm sure they'll all have tons of fun getting to know one another.
I've put some more pictures in the "Friday and Saturday pics" album if you'd like to see how his week has been going.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Raspberry Day
Things continue to go well with Alex. He's sleeping well - but not necessarily when we'd want/need him to sleep, but I'm sure that will come with time. He was up for most of the day today... from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. - all smiles, giggles and good mood for 99% of it.
One of the things I noticed over the past few days is that Alex didn't do "raspberries" (making sounds using tongue/lips like thbbbbbbbbt - usually accompanied by lots of baby spit and bubbles). I'd read in the "What to Expect in the First Year" book that babies are usually making that sound a couple of months ago, so I decided to show him how a few times.
We then spent the rest of the day getting thbbbbbt'ed back by him, much to his delight and ours as well. I couldn't help but laugh out loud as I sat with him in his room with him staring me straight in the face and spraying baby spit all over me. Chris was almost peeing himself listening to Alex's raspberries and my laughing over the baby monitor... such small delights mean so much.
Tomorrow is a big and long day for us. We're off to Mississauga to see a doctor for a post-placement assessment. There's a doctor in Mississauga who runs a clinic specifically for children adopted internationally, so that's where we're bringing him. We're not sure what to expect, but hopefully it won't be too stressful for any of us.
After that, we're rushing down to Sick Kids to get the blood work done - there's a series of tests recommended for children who are adopted from other countries, and it was also recommended to us by many other adoptive parents that Sick Kids is one of the best places for drawing blood from infants without making it a living hell for all parties involved.
After that, we might very well be driving back to Cambridge in rush hour traffic, so we expect it'll be a long, tiring day. Given that Alex has been asleep since about 4:00 and it's now just after 10:00, we have no idea how much more time he'll give us tonight of sleep, or if he'll want to be up partying all night long.
We'll be sure to post an update as soon as we resurface after tomorrow.
One of the things I noticed over the past few days is that Alex didn't do "raspberries" (making sounds using tongue/lips like thbbbbbbbbt - usually accompanied by lots of baby spit and bubbles). I'd read in the "What to Expect in the First Year" book that babies are usually making that sound a couple of months ago, so I decided to show him how a few times.
We then spent the rest of the day getting thbbbbbt'ed back by him, much to his delight and ours as well. I couldn't help but laugh out loud as I sat with him in his room with him staring me straight in the face and spraying baby spit all over me. Chris was almost peeing himself listening to Alex's raspberries and my laughing over the baby monitor... such small delights mean so much.
Tomorrow is a big and long day for us. We're off to Mississauga to see a doctor for a post-placement assessment. There's a doctor in Mississauga who runs a clinic specifically for children adopted internationally, so that's where we're bringing him. We're not sure what to expect, but hopefully it won't be too stressful for any of us.
After that, we're rushing down to Sick Kids to get the blood work done - there's a series of tests recommended for children who are adopted from other countries, and it was also recommended to us by many other adoptive parents that Sick Kids is one of the best places for drawing blood from infants without making it a living hell for all parties involved.
After that, we might very well be driving back to Cambridge in rush hour traffic, so we expect it'll be a long, tiring day. Given that Alex has been asleep since about 4:00 and it's now just after 10:00, we have no idea how much more time he'll give us tonight of sleep, or if he'll want to be up partying all night long.
We'll be sure to post an update as soon as we resurface after tomorrow.
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Sleep... Blissful Sleep
What a difference it makes to sleep for six hours straight instead of taking six one-hour naps! Alexander is doing wonderfully well and has taken to his crib in his room. We're getting better at learning the signals that he's tired, and he's sleeping a fair bit to make up for all of the commotion in his life recently.
When he's awake, he's smiling lots and he's continuing to eat well. We've now got him 100% on our formula and nipples and he's not seemed to notice the switch at all. He loves playing in the exersaucer, and is enjoying the 'tummy time' I make sure he gets so he can get practice in getting around and preparing to crawl. He's at the 'creeping' stage where he worms his way from one spot to the next if he sees something he wants.
We had hoped to get him out a bit today as it wasn't as bitterly cold as it's been, but with all the snow we got over the past 24 hours, we decided to just lay low and let him keep resetting his system from Korean to Canadian time.
Chris ran out for a bit this afternoon and picked up the pictures I had dropped off yesterday for processing. When Alex was still in Korea, we'd sent the foster family some gifts for Alex, as well as some for the foster family and the case worker. At the same time, we'd sent a disposable camera and asked if they could take some pictures of Alex so we could see a bit of where he lived before he came to us.
I've posted a few of those pictures in a new album, and I'll add more from the small photo album the foster family sent to us with Alex's things.
We've also spoken twice now to the escort who took care of Alex on the long flight from Seoul to Toronto. Sky (her English name) was so wonderful and had obviously taken such good care of Alex on the trip, and we will be forever grateful to her for the important role she played in bringing our beautiful son safely home to us.
When he's awake, he's smiling lots and he's continuing to eat well. We've now got him 100% on our formula and nipples and he's not seemed to notice the switch at all. He loves playing in the exersaucer, and is enjoying the 'tummy time' I make sure he gets so he can get practice in getting around and preparing to crawl. He's at the 'creeping' stage where he worms his way from one spot to the next if he sees something he wants.
We had hoped to get him out a bit today as it wasn't as bitterly cold as it's been, but with all the snow we got over the past 24 hours, we decided to just lay low and let him keep resetting his system from Korean to Canadian time.
Chris ran out for a bit this afternoon and picked up the pictures I had dropped off yesterday for processing. When Alex was still in Korea, we'd sent the foster family some gifts for Alex, as well as some for the foster family and the case worker. At the same time, we'd sent a disposable camera and asked if they could take some pictures of Alex so we could see a bit of where he lived before he came to us.
I've posted a few of those pictures in a new album, and I'll add more from the small photo album the foster family sent to us with Alex's things.
We've also spoken twice now to the escort who took care of Alex on the long flight from Seoul to Toronto. Sky (her English name) was so wonderful and had obviously taken such good care of Alex on the trip, and we will be forever grateful to her for the important role she played in bringing our beautiful son safely home to us.
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
Day 4 As a Family
As I write this, Alex is asleep in his crib for the first time. His sleep patterns have been a wee bit wonky (mild understatement) so he hasn't wanted to settle in his crib yet. He surprised me last night by falling asleep during some quiet time late at night on the floor with me, so I just covered him with a blanket and left him - and he slept for more than 4 hours! He'd wake up from time to time, lift his head and then stick his thumb back in his mouth and go back to sleep... it almost made me cry to watch him sleep as he was just so beautiful.
So, this morning after he woke up at about 7:30, we gave him a good breakfast and bottle, then played a bit before giving him a bath. After being put into a clean, comfy outfit, Chris played with him for a bit and when it looked like he was getting a bit tired, I suggested to Chris that he take him upstairs and rock him a bit and then just try placing him in the crib... just to see how it goes.
Chris did just that, and again, Alex roused up briefly when he was put in the crib, but the thumb went into the mouth and he went right back to sleep! (Yeah!!!!)
He's been in his crib for about an hour now - in Korea, he'd take a two hour nap mid-morning and again in the afternoon, so perhaps that's what he's doing now, which could mean he's getting closer to being on Canadian time instead of Korea time. If the weather was a bit warmer, I'd take him out for a bit this afternoon, but we might hold off on that as it's quite bitterly cold.
Overall, both Chris and I are overjoyed at how well Alexander is settling in. He's a happy baby, eats very well and really only fusses when he's tired and fighting sleep. As we learn his routines and cues, hopefully he'll settle more easily as the days and weeks progress.
It's still hard to believe that he's finally here, and that our son is so beautiful and so healthy, happy and easy going. He smiles so much with us, and is simply such a happy and fun baby. Alex seems to perfect to us, and I can't imagine a life without him here... he just fits in so well and seems like he was meant to be our son.
So, this morning after he woke up at about 7:30, we gave him a good breakfast and bottle, then played a bit before giving him a bath. After being put into a clean, comfy outfit, Chris played with him for a bit and when it looked like he was getting a bit tired, I suggested to Chris that he take him upstairs and rock him a bit and then just try placing him in the crib... just to see how it goes.
Chris did just that, and again, Alex roused up briefly when he was put in the crib, but the thumb went into the mouth and he went right back to sleep! (Yeah!!!!)
He's been in his crib for about an hour now - in Korea, he'd take a two hour nap mid-morning and again in the afternoon, so perhaps that's what he's doing now, which could mean he's getting closer to being on Canadian time instead of Korea time. If the weather was a bit warmer, I'd take him out for a bit this afternoon, but we might hold off on that as it's quite bitterly cold.
Overall, both Chris and I are overjoyed at how well Alexander is settling in. He's a happy baby, eats very well and really only fusses when he's tired and fighting sleep. As we learn his routines and cues, hopefully he'll settle more easily as the days and weeks progress.
It's still hard to believe that he's finally here, and that our son is so beautiful and so healthy, happy and easy going. He smiles so much with us, and is simply such a happy and fun baby. Alex seems to perfect to us, and I can't imagine a life without him here... he just fits in so well and seems like he was meant to be our son.
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Arrival and First Day as Family
Well, it's been quite the 48 hours in our household. Alexander arrived home safe and sound shortly after midnight on Saturday, January 15, 2005. His flight was scheduled to arrive at 10:57 p.m. but it was delayed in Vancouver so his "Gotcha Day" is officially January 15th instead of the 14th.
We had some family and friends at the airport with us to share in the moment, and it was lots of fun with everyone chatting and hanging out before the flight got there, and then lots of smiles and well wishes once Alex finally arrived.
Alex's escort was amazing. She was a young woman and her English was very strong, so she was able to tell us a fair bit about his journey and his last feedings, diaper change, etc. She was so sweet and we were so grateful to her for having taken such care of Alex on his flight home to us.
Candace from Conlin's was there with her daughter and son-in-law there as well. Angela from CB also came by, but couldn't stay because of the flight being 90 minutes late. Candace was such a joy to have there, and she was wonderful at helping us understand the process and also taking care of the problem of a misplaced passport for Alex. It was found by someone who turned it in, so the passport did get returned to us, but it meant we were all at the airport a wee bit longer than expected.
The drive home was quite wonderful, with Alex falling asleep soon after we got on the road. Overall, he's been so amazing. He's sleeping pretty well, and he's taking his bottle quite well. We'll start slowly transitioning him to the formula we hope to use for him, and we already introduced a bit of rice cereal which he took pretty well.
We're so grateful to everyone who came to the airport and helped us out so much. Christine (Alex's mom) was wonderful at helping to sort out some of the details for us and looking after things behind the scenes. With family and friends taking pictures for us, we were able to focus on Alex and making sure he was doing okay.
Alex's foster family sent us such lovely gifts as well - quite unexpected! They sent a lovely hanbok (hard to believe he'll ever be that big), but they also sent him a cute winter jacket, two sweaters, and a pair of jeans. They were also kind enough to send us a cutlery set that Alex used in Korea, that includes a beautiful spoon and chopsticks. In addition, they sent us two statues (something like paper maché) of a man and a woman in traditional hanboks. They will be cherished forever. We also got back the camera we sent, and they also included a small album of photos of Alex over the past few months, as well as pictures of the family that took such good care of him.
It's hard to express how it feels to have him here with us finally. He's such a happy baby and we can't wait to get to know him better so we can know what he likes and doesn't like. I've posted a few pictures in two new family albums.
We had some family and friends at the airport with us to share in the moment, and it was lots of fun with everyone chatting and hanging out before the flight got there, and then lots of smiles and well wishes once Alex finally arrived.
Alex's escort was amazing. She was a young woman and her English was very strong, so she was able to tell us a fair bit about his journey and his last feedings, diaper change, etc. She was so sweet and we were so grateful to her for having taken such care of Alex on his flight home to us.
Candace from Conlin's was there with her daughter and son-in-law there as well. Angela from CB also came by, but couldn't stay because of the flight being 90 minutes late. Candace was such a joy to have there, and she was wonderful at helping us understand the process and also taking care of the problem of a misplaced passport for Alex. It was found by someone who turned it in, so the passport did get returned to us, but it meant we were all at the airport a wee bit longer than expected.
The drive home was quite wonderful, with Alex falling asleep soon after we got on the road. Overall, he's been so amazing. He's sleeping pretty well, and he's taking his bottle quite well. We'll start slowly transitioning him to the formula we hope to use for him, and we already introduced a bit of rice cereal which he took pretty well.
We're so grateful to everyone who came to the airport and helped us out so much. Christine (Alex's mom) was wonderful at helping to sort out some of the details for us and looking after things behind the scenes. With family and friends taking pictures for us, we were able to focus on Alex and making sure he was doing okay.
Alex's foster family sent us such lovely gifts as well - quite unexpected! They sent a lovely hanbok (hard to believe he'll ever be that big), but they also sent him a cute winter jacket, two sweaters, and a pair of jeans. They were also kind enough to send us a cutlery set that Alex used in Korea, that includes a beautiful spoon and chopsticks. In addition, they sent us two statues (something like paper maché) of a man and a woman in traditional hanboks. They will be cherished forever. We also got back the camera we sent, and they also included a small album of photos of Alex over the past few months, as well as pictures of the family that took such good care of him.
It's hard to express how it feels to have him here with us finally. He's such a happy baby and we can't wait to get to know him better so we can know what he likes and doesn't like. I've posted a few pictures in two new family albums.
Friday, January 14, 2005
The Big Day Arrives
It's hard to believe this day is finally here. It's now 4:30 a.m. and I've been awake for a couple of hours. We went to bed quite early (especially for me!) last night, and I guess I'm not used to that. Hopefully we'll both be able to grab a nap this afternoon so we're prepared for Alex being awake all night if he doesn't want to sleep when he first gets home.
I think, overall, we're pretty well prepared for him. The only jobs left today are to pack the diaper bag and extra bags were bringing (just in case we have to stay in Toronto for some reason), and I'm preparing the pre-printed cards to bring to the airport in case anyone wants to write a message for Alex's scrapbook.
The house is tidy, his room is all ready, we've got formula, bottles, food, dishes, spoons, wipes, meds, diapers, clothes, blankets, etc. so I hope we're not forgetting anything major. We also installed his car seat today in the van - and I drove Chris nuts by reading the entire manual before I'd even let him touch the car seat. I did the same for the baby gate, high chair and stroller... my Dad would understand this - you can't begin to put something together until you've counted and arranged all of the spare parts, nuts, bolts, etc., and have read everything through. Okay, I'll admit I'm a wee bit anal about following instruction manuals to the letter - if it says to read through the steps before doing something, that's what I do. If it says to count all of the pieces before beginning the assembly, that's what I do too.
Both of us plan on closing off on some work-related things today, and just puttering a bit before we head into Toronto for the evening. We're heading up early - just in case, so Gulliver is going to stay with a pet sitter for the night as we'll be gone for a long time. We also don't have to worry about him if the flight is delayed at all, or if we have to stay in Toronto for the night for some reason.
Chris and I went out to a local restaurant for a Korean dinner to mark our last night before we officially become a family of three. The dinner was wonderful, and once the chef found out we were adopting from Korea, he came to introduce himself and I got to practice my garbled version of thank you in Korean.
I think, overall, we're pretty well prepared for him. The only jobs left today are to pack the diaper bag and extra bags were bringing (just in case we have to stay in Toronto for some reason), and I'm preparing the pre-printed cards to bring to the airport in case anyone wants to write a message for Alex's scrapbook.
The house is tidy, his room is all ready, we've got formula, bottles, food, dishes, spoons, wipes, meds, diapers, clothes, blankets, etc. so I hope we're not forgetting anything major. We also installed his car seat today in the van - and I drove Chris nuts by reading the entire manual before I'd even let him touch the car seat. I did the same for the baby gate, high chair and stroller... my Dad would understand this - you can't begin to put something together until you've counted and arranged all of the spare parts, nuts, bolts, etc., and have read everything through. Okay, I'll admit I'm a wee bit anal about following instruction manuals to the letter - if it says to read through the steps before doing something, that's what I do. If it says to count all of the pieces before beginning the assembly, that's what I do too.
Both of us plan on closing off on some work-related things today, and just puttering a bit before we head into Toronto for the evening. We're heading up early - just in case, so Gulliver is going to stay with a pet sitter for the night as we'll be gone for a long time. We also don't have to worry about him if the flight is delayed at all, or if we have to stay in Toronto for the night for some reason.
Chris and I went out to a local restaurant for a Korean dinner to mark our last night before we officially become a family of three. The dinner was wonderful, and once the chef found out we were adopting from Korea, he came to introduce himself and I got to practice my garbled version of thank you in Korean.
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Two More Sleeps
Chris and I are still in a state of overjoyed shock as we make the final preparations for Alex's homecoming in two days.
We're so excited about meeting him and having him become a part of our life. The house already has taken on a bit of a "baby" feel, with the nursery all ready for him, bottles, formula, cereal and baby food in the cupboards and a high chair taking over part of our small kitchen. All of the little details of preparing for a baby are still so exciting and magical to us.
I'm still closing off on some work projects and Chris is busy with some meetings in his territory until he takes some time off effective Friday.
We're so excited about meeting him and having him become a part of our life. The house already has taken on a bit of a "baby" feel, with the nursery all ready for him, bottles, formula, cereal and baby food in the cupboards and a high chair taking over part of our small kitchen. All of the little details of preparing for a baby are still so exciting and magical to us.
I'm still closing off on some work projects and Chris is busy with some meetings in his territory until he takes some time off effective Friday.
Monday, January 10, 2005
He's Coming Home!
Shannon called us at 7:30 a.m. to tell us that she’d received the fax telling us that Alexander was ready to travel.
Date of arrival: January 14, 2005 at 22:57 (not June 14 *grins* - major baby brain happening)
Flight: AC100 at Pearson International Airport
Escort: Ms. HAN, Sang Kyoung
Date of arrival: January 14, 2005 at 22:57 (not June 14 *grins* - major baby brain happening)
Flight: AC100 at Pearson International Airport
Escort: Ms. HAN, Sang Kyoung
Sunday, January 9, 2005
Adoption Milestones
Here are some of the big dates so far in our journey to adopting our son.
- November 1, 2003: Initial Consultation with Social Worker (Marcy).
- November 29, 2003: Official start to homestudy with Social Worker.
- March 27, 2004: Final homestudy visit with Social Worker, including visit to our home and get together with SW and family.
- April 30, 2004: Homestudy sent to Children's Bridge.
- May 18, 2004: Homestudy sent to Ministry of Children and Youth Services by Conlin & Payette/Children's Bridge.
- June 24, 2004: Ministry Approval Letter Issued!
- July 16, 2004: Our dossier is sent to Korea. Package arrives at the SWS on July 22, 2004.
- November 1, 2004: E-mail received by Children's Bridge explaining that our file had been accidentally misplaced by SWS, but they had located it and were going to match us to a baby right away.
- November 8, 2004: Referral received!
- November 18, 2004: Letter of No Objection (LONO) issued by Ministry of Children and Youth Services.
- November 24, 2004: Acceptance letter, file and paperwork goes back to Korea. Package arrives at SWS on November 29, 2004.
- December 2, 2004: Canadian Embassy in Seoul begins work on Alexander's application for Permanent Residence.
- January 10, 2005: Shannon calls to say that Alexander will be coming home on Friday, January 14, 2005 at 10:57 p.m.
- January 15, 2005. Alex arrives home!
- November 1, 2003: Initial Consultation with Social Worker (Marcy).
- November 29, 2003: Official start to homestudy with Social Worker.
- March 27, 2004: Final homestudy visit with Social Worker, including visit to our home and get together with SW and family.
- April 30, 2004: Homestudy sent to Children's Bridge.
- May 18, 2004: Homestudy sent to Ministry of Children and Youth Services by Conlin & Payette/Children's Bridge.
- June 24, 2004: Ministry Approval Letter Issued!
- July 16, 2004: Our dossier is sent to Korea. Package arrives at the SWS on July 22, 2004.
- November 1, 2004: E-mail received by Children's Bridge explaining that our file had been accidentally misplaced by SWS, but they had located it and were going to match us to a baby right away.
- November 8, 2004: Referral received!
- November 18, 2004: Letter of No Objection (LONO) issued by Ministry of Children and Youth Services.
- November 24, 2004: Acceptance letter, file and paperwork goes back to Korea. Package arrives at SWS on November 29, 2004.
- December 2, 2004: Canadian Embassy in Seoul begins work on Alexander's application for Permanent Residence.
- January 10, 2005: Shannon calls to say that Alexander will be coming home on Friday, January 14, 2005 at 10:57 p.m.
- January 15, 2005. Alex arrives home!
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