Hi everyone, Katie here...
I just had to tell you all that I've been the little Mommy at my home. I've been helping Mommy and Daddy out with getting things for Tae Hee. I have been trying to feed Tae Hee her bottle but she cries whenever I touch it. Only our Mommy can touch the bottle. I have been able to give her toys and play with her. At times it's been rough having somebody cry in my room late at night when I'm trying to sleep but I love her very much. What is fun for the two of us is having "parties" in our room.
~Katie
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Doctors visits for the Girls yesterday
The two girls had doctors appointments yesterday. For Tae Hee, she had her first doctor's appointment here in the US. She didn't want to let go of me. She didn't want me to lay her down on the table. She cried during some of the appointment...the only time she didn't was when I was holding her. Her doctor ordered up some blood work and stool cultures. So it was off to the hospital lab to get that all done.
Katie had her appointment as well and she did very well during the finger stick lead test until the nurse tried to put on the band-aid. It was then that she cried out. She is still complaining today that her finger hurts and that I had to kiss the boo-boo and rub the kiss in so that it stays.
Tae Hee's visit to the hospital lab for blood work went really well. Much much better than the other two kids. She was bottle feeding when we were called in. She continued to bottle feed only crying out when I had to take the bottle out of her mouth. She bottle fed during the blood draw without any issues. She complained only when the tech tried to put on the band-aid. The tech told me that most kids her age will scream and it requires one tech and one parent to hold the child down. (That was true of my other two kids). Not my little angel baby!!!!
The tech noticed on the lab request paperwork that she was an internationally adopted baby. She said that "we should go straight to Heaven for adopting this baby girl". She alluded to the fact that we "saved" this baby. I told her that we adopted three kids from Korea and that we are blessed...THEY chose US!!
Outside of a nasty chest cold that Tae Hee has and whatever the lab work finds out, she is healthy. We haven't brought her out anywhere except for to the doctors and back. We are heading back there tomorrow to have a test read.
Jen
Katie had her appointment as well and she did very well during the finger stick lead test until the nurse tried to put on the band-aid. It was then that she cried out. She is still complaining today that her finger hurts and that I had to kiss the boo-boo and rub the kiss in so that it stays.
Tae Hee's visit to the hospital lab for blood work went really well. Much much better than the other two kids. She was bottle feeding when we were called in. She continued to bottle feed only crying out when I had to take the bottle out of her mouth. She bottle fed during the blood draw without any issues. She complained only when the tech tried to put on the band-aid. The tech told me that most kids her age will scream and it requires one tech and one parent to hold the child down. (That was true of my other two kids). Not my little angel baby!!!!
The tech noticed on the lab request paperwork that she was an internationally adopted baby. She said that "we should go straight to Heaven for adopting this baby girl". She alluded to the fact that we "saved" this baby. I told her that we adopted three kids from Korea and that we are blessed...THEY chose US!!
Outside of a nasty chest cold that Tae Hee has and whatever the lab work finds out, she is healthy. We haven't brought her out anywhere except for to the doctors and back. We are heading back there tomorrow to have a test read.
Jen
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Pictures of Korea
Here are just some of our pictures from Korea...most of them are private so we will not be uploading them. They are the kids' photos and our special photos.
from Gyeonghuigung Palace
Our Second meeting with Tae Hee
At Itaewon Market...one of the many shops here
Seoul from our window at Eastern's Guesthouse
Absolutely cool street sign we found near one of the palaces and Seoul Selection store. There was more on the sign however a van was blocking the view.
Jogyesa Buddhist Temple in Seoul...this is the side of the temple.
Time Capsule Park
Namdaemun Gate
Cityscape from Namdaemun Gate
Our photo from the famous Red Chair
We hope that you've enjoyed our pictures from our trip to Korea.
from Gyeonghuigung Palace
Our Second meeting with Tae Hee
At Itaewon Market...one of the many shops here
Our children's birth hometown...I wanted to capture the narrow city streets here. For reference, you can fit a car/pickup type truck through.
Seoul from our window at Eastern's Guesthouse
Absolutely cool street sign we found near one of the palaces and Seoul Selection store. There was more on the sign however a van was blocking the view.
Jogyesa Buddhist Temple in Seoul...this is the side of the temple.
Time Capsule Park
Namdaemun Gate
Cityscape from Namdaemun Gate
Our photo from the famous Red Chair
We hope that you've enjoyed our pictures from our trip to Korea.
Friday, November 23, 2007
We're Home!!
Annyong Haseyo!!!
We're home!! We had our 4th meeting with Tae Hee an hour before we left for the airport. Due to this meeting going not as well as they had hoped, Tae Hee's social worker wanted us to contact her directly with Tae Hee's update after she landed here in the States. I don't see how her bonding to us and Ryan and Katie's bonding to us being any different due to us going to Korea after doing both escorting and flying over there to pick up our child. It really has to do with personality and age.
Tae Hee screamed after she left her foster mom and everything she knew to be familiar in Korea. She screamed for half of the ride to the airport and finally sacked out in my arms. Jeff took pictures of the trip to the airport. I cried in the van heading there. I didn't want to leave Korea. I wanted to ask my children's foster mothers more information, I wanted to do so much more stuff there as far as sightseeing goes, I wanted to rock and feed the babies in the nursery and so much more.
When we got to Incheon Airport, Tae Hee woke up and screamed several more hours. She scanned all of the Asians there that were close by looking for her foster mom. When she didn't find her, she screamed more to have her come running...of course she never came. It was so sad!!
We knew she was overdue for a feeding and tried to feed her without any luck. One Asian American waiting for the same flight as us offered to help. Tae Hee took a little formula from her but not much. She was still kicking and screaming for her foster mommy to come and scoop her up and feed her and dry those tears. A Korean mother even tried to help us feed her to no avail.
In flight, she refused to take any formula for some of the flight. We were approached by a flight attendant that a Korean mother in the back of the plane was willing to help us out. We had to use her to get Tae Hee to drink her formula since she absolutely refused it from us!!! I hated to do it but had to get her to take her formula since she should have had a 2nd bottle by the time she had finished her 1st one with us. It was absolutely heartwrenching to see her go through all of this. I cried in flight for a part of this flight.
The flight itself from Seoul to Atlanta, Georgia was horrible. The flight attendants were fine but the turbulence was so bad my anti-anxiety med did very little in flight. I needed something much stronger than what I had. We had our seat belt sign on most of the flight. When it was off, the turbulence was there but not as bad. People rushed to get to the bathrooms. Changing Tae Hee in flight wasn't fun either since she was screaming so much. The only time she wasn't upset was when she slept...about 2 hours out of the entire flight. Jeff slept about 3 hours on that flight...I couldn't sleep at all. At one point with the turbulence, we had dropped what Jeff says was probably about 5 feet. I screamed out along with a few other people on the plane. I sat there in my seat shaking uncontrollably for half of the flight in shock.
Any time the flight attendants came around with water, I took some since God only knew the next time they were able to come around. I couldn't eat anything besides crackers or rolls in flight due to the turbulence. I couldn't watch anything on the TV screen in front of me for the same reason. Our landing was horrible. We fishtailed on the landing. While Jeff held Tae Hee, I wondered if we would make it to Atlanta Airport alive after this horrific flight.
We almost didn't make the next flight due to immigration at Atlanta. What a fiasco!!! We waited for over an hour for them to call us up to the desk and say..."I'm sorry you've waited so long, you can now go". We have no idea what was done, who worked on it, or anything. All we knew is that we could go. Our flight was leaving in less than an hour and we still had to go back through security in order to board our flight. We were also sent to the wrong terminal and gate so we had to rush to the correct one all the time Tae Hee who was in the baby carrier, screamed any time we went on an escalator. She hates them!!
We made it to the correct gate where we found that one of our bags didn't fit in the overhead bin so we had to check it in to checked luggage planeside. After boarding we were told that the weather in Albany was bad and there was a chance that we wouldn't fly there that night. They were fogged in. 10 minutes into a 5 minute wait we were cleared for take off but we had to wait since we were 5th in the queue. Our take off was flawless. I had taken another half of anti-anxiety med about a half hour before take off and it was making me sleeping now. Jeff held Tae Hee during the flight from Atlanta to Albany. While she slept I reminensced with Jeff about our trip and cried and smiled and cried some more.
Tae Hee woke up in Albany after a flawless landing screaming some more. Jeff handed her to me and we put her into the baby carrier. He carried the luggage. We had our family and friends (his parents, his brother, and our nephew, along with my parents with Ryan and friends of mine who adopted from Korea years ago with one of their daughters holding Katie) along with a whole bunch of other people there at the airport watching us leave the secured end of the terminal. We were home. I survived all 4 flights and we were home. Tae Hee did alot of crying. I must of looked horrible to everyone since I had formula, tears, snot and God only knows what else on my shirt. My hair was a mess but we were home. My kids were a little tired but were happy to see us.
Ryan, Tae Hee, Jeff and I were up until 2 am when Ryan finally went to bed. Tae Hee was up until 4 am Wednesday morning before she finally fell asleep with us on the floor of the girls' room. She was crying for Omma. She fought sleep. She wanted no part of it since all she wanted to do was cry. After she fell asleep, Jeff and I fell asleep and we all woke up at 12:30 pm.
She hates going to bed. She screams for Omma when it's bedtime. It's very hard watching her go through this. She is physically attached to me all day. It's so bad that I can't even go to the bathroom without having her in the room with me and she is still screaming. While I like the physical attachment, I don't think that she is bonded to me at all. I think it's just because she recognizes me from Korea, from her past. I tried wearing her on my back in the baby carrier like her foster mom did to soothe her and she screams even more.
We delayed going to the pediatrician's office from today (Friday) to Monday. I'm hoping that her need to have a deathgrip on me and my clothing 24/7 will subside somewhat so that she can learn to trust others as well. She screams when I have to give her to Jeff.
I am getting some small bit of respite right now since she is asleep in her crib at the moment...major miracle here but I know that this won't last since she will wake up screaming around 1 or 2 and be up until at least 5 screaming and playing. Meanwhile, I'm doing laundry (5 loads yesterday and another 3 today) and typing this in as fast as I possibly can to update you all.
Ryan and Katie are doing well with her with the occasional "I want Tae Hee to go home now" coming from Ryan. We know that he doesn't mean it but he is still saying it. Both kids are being helpful getting toys, bottles, and diapers for Tae Hee.
We are eternally grateful to my parents for putting on the Thanksgiving Day feast since my mom cooked the turkey and all its trimmings for us at our house. So a big Kamsahamnida to them.
Gotta go since Tae Hee is stirring!!
Jen live from her home back from the trip to Seoul, South Korea
We're home!! We had our 4th meeting with Tae Hee an hour before we left for the airport. Due to this meeting going not as well as they had hoped, Tae Hee's social worker wanted us to contact her directly with Tae Hee's update after she landed here in the States. I don't see how her bonding to us and Ryan and Katie's bonding to us being any different due to us going to Korea after doing both escorting and flying over there to pick up our child. It really has to do with personality and age.
Tae Hee screamed after she left her foster mom and everything she knew to be familiar in Korea. She screamed for half of the ride to the airport and finally sacked out in my arms. Jeff took pictures of the trip to the airport. I cried in the van heading there. I didn't want to leave Korea. I wanted to ask my children's foster mothers more information, I wanted to do so much more stuff there as far as sightseeing goes, I wanted to rock and feed the babies in the nursery and so much more.
When we got to Incheon Airport, Tae Hee woke up and screamed several more hours. She scanned all of the Asians there that were close by looking for her foster mom. When she didn't find her, she screamed more to have her come running...of course she never came. It was so sad!!
We knew she was overdue for a feeding and tried to feed her without any luck. One Asian American waiting for the same flight as us offered to help. Tae Hee took a little formula from her but not much. She was still kicking and screaming for her foster mommy to come and scoop her up and feed her and dry those tears. A Korean mother even tried to help us feed her to no avail.
In flight, she refused to take any formula for some of the flight. We were approached by a flight attendant that a Korean mother in the back of the plane was willing to help us out. We had to use her to get Tae Hee to drink her formula since she absolutely refused it from us!!! I hated to do it but had to get her to take her formula since she should have had a 2nd bottle by the time she had finished her 1st one with us. It was absolutely heartwrenching to see her go through all of this. I cried in flight for a part of this flight.
The flight itself from Seoul to Atlanta, Georgia was horrible. The flight attendants were fine but the turbulence was so bad my anti-anxiety med did very little in flight. I needed something much stronger than what I had. We had our seat belt sign on most of the flight. When it was off, the turbulence was there but not as bad. People rushed to get to the bathrooms. Changing Tae Hee in flight wasn't fun either since she was screaming so much. The only time she wasn't upset was when she slept...about 2 hours out of the entire flight. Jeff slept about 3 hours on that flight...I couldn't sleep at all. At one point with the turbulence, we had dropped what Jeff says was probably about 5 feet. I screamed out along with a few other people on the plane. I sat there in my seat shaking uncontrollably for half of the flight in shock.
Any time the flight attendants came around with water, I took some since God only knew the next time they were able to come around. I couldn't eat anything besides crackers or rolls in flight due to the turbulence. I couldn't watch anything on the TV screen in front of me for the same reason. Our landing was horrible. We fishtailed on the landing. While Jeff held Tae Hee, I wondered if we would make it to Atlanta Airport alive after this horrific flight.
We almost didn't make the next flight due to immigration at Atlanta. What a fiasco!!! We waited for over an hour for them to call us up to the desk and say..."I'm sorry you've waited so long, you can now go". We have no idea what was done, who worked on it, or anything. All we knew is that we could go. Our flight was leaving in less than an hour and we still had to go back through security in order to board our flight. We were also sent to the wrong terminal and gate so we had to rush to the correct one all the time Tae Hee who was in the baby carrier, screamed any time we went on an escalator. She hates them!!
We made it to the correct gate where we found that one of our bags didn't fit in the overhead bin so we had to check it in to checked luggage planeside. After boarding we were told that the weather in Albany was bad and there was a chance that we wouldn't fly there that night. They were fogged in. 10 minutes into a 5 minute wait we were cleared for take off but we had to wait since we were 5th in the queue. Our take off was flawless. I had taken another half of anti-anxiety med about a half hour before take off and it was making me sleeping now. Jeff held Tae Hee during the flight from Atlanta to Albany. While she slept I reminensced with Jeff about our trip and cried and smiled and cried some more.
Tae Hee woke up in Albany after a flawless landing screaming some more. Jeff handed her to me and we put her into the baby carrier. He carried the luggage. We had our family and friends (his parents, his brother, and our nephew, along with my parents with Ryan and friends of mine who adopted from Korea years ago with one of their daughters holding Katie) along with a whole bunch of other people there at the airport watching us leave the secured end of the terminal. We were home. I survived all 4 flights and we were home. Tae Hee did alot of crying. I must of looked horrible to everyone since I had formula, tears, snot and God only knows what else on my shirt. My hair was a mess but we were home. My kids were a little tired but were happy to see us.
Ryan, Tae Hee, Jeff and I were up until 2 am when Ryan finally went to bed. Tae Hee was up until 4 am Wednesday morning before she finally fell asleep with us on the floor of the girls' room. She was crying for Omma. She fought sleep. She wanted no part of it since all she wanted to do was cry. After she fell asleep, Jeff and I fell asleep and we all woke up at 12:30 pm.
She hates going to bed. She screams for Omma when it's bedtime. It's very hard watching her go through this. She is physically attached to me all day. It's so bad that I can't even go to the bathroom without having her in the room with me and she is still screaming. While I like the physical attachment, I don't think that she is bonded to me at all. I think it's just because she recognizes me from Korea, from her past. I tried wearing her on my back in the baby carrier like her foster mom did to soothe her and she screams even more.
We delayed going to the pediatrician's office from today (Friday) to Monday. I'm hoping that her need to have a deathgrip on me and my clothing 24/7 will subside somewhat so that she can learn to trust others as well. She screams when I have to give her to Jeff.
I am getting some small bit of respite right now since she is asleep in her crib at the moment...major miracle here but I know that this won't last since she will wake up screaming around 1 or 2 and be up until at least 5 screaming and playing. Meanwhile, I'm doing laundry (5 loads yesterday and another 3 today) and typing this in as fast as I possibly can to update you all.
Ryan and Katie are doing well with her with the occasional "I want Tae Hee to go home now" coming from Ryan. We know that he doesn't mean it but he is still saying it. Both kids are being helpful getting toys, bottles, and diapers for Tae Hee.
We are eternally grateful to my parents for putting on the Thanksgiving Day feast since my mom cooked the turkey and all its trimmings for us at our house. So a big Kamsahamnida to them.
Gotta go since Tae Hee is stirring!!
Jen live from her home back from the trip to Seoul, South Korea
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Our Outing Yesterday
Annyong Haseyo!!
We decided to go to Namdaemun Market as well as a Korean folk village who's name escapes me at the moment except for the fact that it's near Namdaemun market and the name is similar. The folk village was neat and we got to see Time Capsule park as well.
Namdaemun Market...I can't use one word to describe it. It's a very busy market place where I think you can find just about anything you need to wear or eat and more. We found a place similar to a Staples but had other stuff in it too called Alpha. I picked up two things there. We also just people watched and store/stand watched. It was interesting to see all of the stuff for sale...particularly at the food stands.
We are sad to be leaving here today but we know that we'll come back for a visit...to see more of the sites, to visit with the kids' foster mothers, and so much more.
We are eternally grateful to Eastern Social Welfare Society for all they have done for us...from taking care of our children, getting matched up with Ryan at the begining of our adoption journey, organizing our visit here, and so much more.
Kamsahamida to our Eastern family and to the wonderful families we have met here!!
Annyong from Seoul, South Korea as this will be my last post from here this year!!
Jen reporting live for the last time from Seoul, South Korea
We decided to go to Namdaemun Market as well as a Korean folk village who's name escapes me at the moment except for the fact that it's near Namdaemun market and the name is similar. The folk village was neat and we got to see Time Capsule park as well.
Namdaemun Market...I can't use one word to describe it. It's a very busy market place where I think you can find just about anything you need to wear or eat and more. We found a place similar to a Staples but had other stuff in it too called Alpha. I picked up two things there. We also just people watched and store/stand watched. It was interesting to see all of the stuff for sale...particularly at the food stands.
We are sad to be leaving here today but we know that we'll come back for a visit...to see more of the sites, to visit with the kids' foster mothers, and so much more.
We are eternally grateful to Eastern Social Welfare Society for all they have done for us...from taking care of our children, getting matched up with Ryan at the begining of our adoption journey, organizing our visit here, and so much more.
Kamsahamida to our Eastern family and to the wonderful families we have met here!!
Annyong from Seoul, South Korea as this will be my last post from here this year!!
Jen reporting live for the last time from Seoul, South Korea
Monday, November 19, 2007
3rd Meeting with Tae Hee
Annyong Haseyo!!
We had our meeting with the two Dr. Kims and having Bibimbap with them. Our meeting with the two Dr. Kims was enlightening. We learned about Eastern and it's facilities. We also received gifts from them as well. And we gave ours out to them.
The Bibimbap was good and did I forget to mention that I think that I had Octopus with it??? At least that's what Jeff identified it as...so please feel free to blame him if it wasn't.
Immediately following lunch we met with Tae Hee for our third time. She is having a hard time with separation anxiety and stranger anxiety. Any time the foster mom is outside of her sight she start crying. We had her for 20 minutes by ourselves just walking her around with her in the baby carrier on me today. She wanted nothing to do with me and kicked and screamed. The only time she didn't scream was to catch her breath to scream some more.
Her social worker scheduled yet another meeting before we fly tomorrow. Both her social worker and us think that she cry most of the flight. If we are extremely lucky she will fall asleep during this flight. I can completely see me having to stay completely at home for awhile like I did with her big brother just so she gets used to us.
We got two photo albums from the foster mom today. We learned through the photos and from the foster mom that she loves puppies!!! She had two of them in the home so better watch out Maggie cause Tae Hee's coming!!!!
Please wish us good luck with her for the flight. We're going to need it!!!
Annyong!!!
Jen reporting live on her last night from Seoul, South Korea
We had our meeting with the two Dr. Kims and having Bibimbap with them. Our meeting with the two Dr. Kims was enlightening. We learned about Eastern and it's facilities. We also received gifts from them as well. And we gave ours out to them.
The Bibimbap was good and did I forget to mention that I think that I had Octopus with it??? At least that's what Jeff identified it as...so please feel free to blame him if it wasn't.
Immediately following lunch we met with Tae Hee for our third time. She is having a hard time with separation anxiety and stranger anxiety. Any time the foster mom is outside of her sight she start crying. We had her for 20 minutes by ourselves just walking her around with her in the baby carrier on me today. She wanted nothing to do with me and kicked and screamed. The only time she didn't scream was to catch her breath to scream some more.
Her social worker scheduled yet another meeting before we fly tomorrow. Both her social worker and us think that she cry most of the flight. If we are extremely lucky she will fall asleep during this flight. I can completely see me having to stay completely at home for awhile like I did with her big brother just so she gets used to us.
We got two photo albums from the foster mom today. We learned through the photos and from the foster mom that she loves puppies!!! She had two of them in the home so better watch out Maggie cause Tae Hee's coming!!!!
Please wish us good luck with her for the flight. We're going to need it!!!
Annyong!!!
Jen reporting live on her last night from Seoul, South Korea
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Today's Outings and Thoughts about Korea
Annyong Haseyo!!!
We visited a palace this morning in the brutally cold weather. The one we visited was Gyeongbokgung Palace (the Palace of Shining Happiness). The place was absolutely beautiful and breath taking. We got to see the changing of the guard when we arrived. What perfect timing!!! It was 6,000 Won (the currency of Korea to get in). I took video of the changing of the guard ceremony and many still shots.
After that we went to Jogyesa Buddhist Temple which is close by. It is very peaceful here. We saw a Buddhist monk outside with no hat, gloves, coat or scarf on. Wow!!! After the emotions that we have been dealing with this week, we needed something so peaceful.
It's hard to believe that our stay here is almost done. We have one more full day left and then after that it's a partial day on Tuesday before our 6:30 PM flight out of Incheon Airport.
Part of my heart will always be here in Korea with my children's foster moms and their families, with their birthmom, and in the place my children were born. I know that all be coming back to Korea with my children to visit their homeland with them and show them the sights, sounds and smells of Korea that we have seen, heard, and smelled ourselves with this trip.
I hope that those of you reading this can make sense of what I'm saying in my blog here and can picture some of the sights we've seen. This country (what little we've seen of it) is amazing, the people are amazing.
For the first time in my entire life, I am the outsider, I am the minority. I needed to experience that. Going to KAAN earlier this summer helped me to decide about traveling here to this country. I needed the connection to my children's birthplace. I needed to see for myself what life is like here. I needed to spend some time here (as much as finances and my Mom and Dad would allow since they are watching our other two kids).
From what I've seen of this country, it's my 2nd homeland. So if you visit my home, please consider it to be a Korean home and take off your shoes at my door. And perhaps I'll even greet you with an 'Annyong Haseyo' as well.
Jen reporting Live from Seoul, South Korea
We visited a palace this morning in the brutally cold weather. The one we visited was Gyeongbokgung Palace (the Palace of Shining Happiness). The place was absolutely beautiful and breath taking. We got to see the changing of the guard when we arrived. What perfect timing!!! It was 6,000 Won (the currency of Korea to get in). I took video of the changing of the guard ceremony and many still shots.
After that we went to Jogyesa Buddhist Temple which is close by. It is very peaceful here. We saw a Buddhist monk outside with no hat, gloves, coat or scarf on. Wow!!! After the emotions that we have been dealing with this week, we needed something so peaceful.
It's hard to believe that our stay here is almost done. We have one more full day left and then after that it's a partial day on Tuesday before our 6:30 PM flight out of Incheon Airport.
Part of my heart will always be here in Korea with my children's foster moms and their families, with their birthmom, and in the place my children were born. I know that all be coming back to Korea with my children to visit their homeland with them and show them the sights, sounds and smells of Korea that we have seen, heard, and smelled ourselves with this trip.
I hope that those of you reading this can make sense of what I'm saying in my blog here and can picture some of the sights we've seen. This country (what little we've seen of it) is amazing, the people are amazing.
For the first time in my entire life, I am the outsider, I am the minority. I needed to experience that. Going to KAAN earlier this summer helped me to decide about traveling here to this country. I needed the connection to my children's birthplace. I needed to see for myself what life is like here. I needed to spend some time here (as much as finances and my Mom and Dad would allow since they are watching our other two kids).
From what I've seen of this country, it's my 2nd homeland. So if you visit my home, please consider it to be a Korean home and take off your shoes at my door. And perhaps I'll even greet you with an 'Annyong Haseyo' as well.
Jen reporting Live from Seoul, South Korea
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