Travel Plans

I'm exhausted and overwhelmed so here is our flight schedule...

OKC to Houston, Continental 3313 leaving at 5:59 PM tomorrow, April 29
Arrive at 7:34 PM, 1 1/2 hour layover
Houston to LA, Continental 815 leaving at 9:10 PM
Arrive at 10:46 PM, 1 1/2 hour layover
LA to Seoul, Asiana 236 leaving at 12:20 AM Saturday, April 30
Arrive in Seoul at 5:20 AM Sunday, May 1

Crash into bed for a few hours.

See Seoul.

Do lots of shopping.

Get Griffin Tuesday, May 3! 

See more of Seoul WITH Griffin!

Meet up with some new adoption friends.  There are several of us that will be there next week.

Leave Seoul Friday, May 6.

Seoul to Chicago, Asiana 236 leaving at 6:50 PM Friday, May 6
Arrive in Chicago at 5:30 PM Friday, May 6, 4 hour layover
Chicago to OKC, American Airlines 3700 leaving at 9:45 PM
Arrive home at 11:50 PM on Friday, May 6.

That is one long Friday.

Thank you for your prayers and support!  And if you're close to OKC you are more than welcome to join us at the airport at midnight next Friday!  We would LOVE to see your smiling face!!!

TRAVEL CALL!!!!

We received our travel call this morning at 11:23 AM!  They actually called Blake first (what?!?!!!) and he got the call at 11:11 AM.  We're leaving TOMORROW!  Yeah, I know.  Crazy!  But airline tickets go up considerably on Saturday since apparently this weekend is the beginning of the summer travel season.

AND it looks like we will get Griffin on my birthday!  God is awesome!

I will post about our travel plans later tonight or tomorrow.

Visa Interview Scheduled!

I called DC first thing this morning and was extremely surprised when the lady told me Griffin's VI is scheduled for tomorrow (today in Seoul).  I have been calling every day (sometimes twice a day) for the last week or two and all I had been told was "Adorable baby!  No interview scheduled."

So, what does this mean?  Travel call could come any day!  Like, it could be tomorrow or Friday or sometime next week.  We will just have to wait and see.  No matter what, we will be in Seoul soon!

Oh Happy Day {For Friends}

No travel call today (I'm not expecting it until next week, at the earliest), but there was some good news for my friends.  EP submittals!!!  There were several on the adoption board I'm apart of, but here are a few of my bloggy friends...

The Liermans.

The Fosters.

And wee, WEE, wee all the way home!

Not EP news but good news all the same...

My friend, Adelyn's mom.

Enjoy!

Visa Physical Day

It's Wednesday in Seoul and for the first time ever I know what Griffin is doing today. 

He's getting his visa physical so he can come home to his momma!

That's what Griffin's doing today.

Meeting an Old Friend

Yesterday was a fun day.  I met a friend that I had "known" for 3 or 4 years for the first time!  Let me explain...back in my infertility days (I like to think that part of my life is over.  Good riddance.) I joined a online infertility support group.  It was a life saver, much like the adoption forum I'm apart of now.  I met lots of amazing women all dealing with the same struggles I was dealing with.  We all wanted to have children.  One of my online friends, Sarah, saw a picture I posted of me at the 2006 Big 12 football championship game in Kansas City against Nebraska.  She commented on the picture and said she was at the same game.  How cool is that!?  I gave her some heck about being a Nebraska fan and I kept up with her infertility struggle but we didn't talk much.  She got pregnant.  I got pregnant.  She had her daughter in July 2008 and Kinley was born October 2008.  After Kinley was born I quit visiting the support group.

Fast forward to late last year.  My sweet friend, Melissa, (who is due any time with her first child, Grace!  Yay!) from the infertility support group messaged me on Facebook and told me Sarah was also a blogger and might be interested in my blog.  And that's when Sarah and I reconnected.  Our paths crossed again.  I don't believe in coincidences.  I know it's overused but...I really do believe everything happens for a reason.

So, Sarah being the sweetheart that she is (and super fabulous photographer) offered to do a pre-adoption family photo shoot!  Free of charge!  Man, I have great friends!  Yesterday was the big day.  We met in Wichita, Kansas, got blown around by the wind, and chased a very uncooperative Kinley all over a park.  It was perfect!  It was quite surreal meeting a Daily Strength (name of infertility group) girl.  I used to have problems reaching out and asking for help but Daily Strength and all the women I met there changed that.  Changed me forever.

Sarah, thank you so much for your support and friendship.  Then and now.  It's nice to bring an old friend into my new adoption world.  And thank you for your patience during our photo shoot! LOL!  Kinley was a MESS!  THANK YOU!!!  And why didn't we get a picture of the two of us?!  What were we thinking?!

You can find Sarah's blog here.

April Well Baby Check

We received Griffin's April well baby check and there's not much to report.  He's growing, still only has two teeth, and is right on track.  On the report, they put a plus sign (+) next to something he is doing and a negative sign (-) next to something he isn't doing.  Next to walking there is both a plus and a minus sign.  I'm assuming that means he is taking steps but not really walking independently.  I don't know that for sure though.  I sure hope his foster mother is righting down all his milestones. 

It was wonderful to hear some news on my boy.  His visa physical is Wednesday and then it's more waiting.  But not too much more.  We are SO close!

Surprise, Surprise

We were notified today that Griffin's VP is scheduled for next Wednesday, April 20.  It was so wonderful to finally hear SOMETHING.  Now we wait some more!

After Griffin's VP, he will then have his visa interview (I'm sure he'll have a lot to say) and then finally travel call. 

Every day is a little closer...

Wordless Wednesday {Forever My Baby Girl}

Process Update

The next thing we need for Griffin to come home is his visa physical.  It has been almost 3 three weeks since our EP approval, and we still haven't been notified of VP.  Several of the families that were in our EP batch have had their VP or been scheduled for VP.  We don't know why Griffin hasn't been scheduled.

I found out today that the social worker in Korea that does all the 'notifying' of things like EP and VP will be out of the office until next Tuesday.  So, we will likely hear nothing this week.  All we can do is hope that things are still being scheduled and are moving in Korea.

For those of you that are wondering, it is becoming less and less likely that we will travel in April.  It's still a possibility, but things are going to have to pick up.

This isn't a downer post.  I'm doing fine.  Just stating some facts.  But I won't be getting excited about anything again until we get our travel call.  It's too much of a roller coaster to get all excited about movement in the process just to be let down by more waiting.  The hurry up and wait is just the nature of the adoption process.

Thoughts

Here are some topics running through my head...

I'm really, REALLY sad that Kinley isn't going to be an only child anymore.  This really doesn't make sense considering how badly we want to add to our family and how excited we are to bring Griffin home.  But I think most moms get what I'm dealing with emotionally right now.  For over two and a half years we have lived and breathed Kinley and only Kinley.  I always tell her she's my best friend, and we do almost everything together.  Those of you that personally know our family and Kinley, you know that Kinley has, from the beginning, been an extremely easy baby/toddler.  I didn't deal with colic or any spit up.  She only cried when she was hungry and that was only when she was a newborn.  She has always listened really well and likes to please.  She has been a dream child.  I always say I deserved an easy child given how difficult it was for us to conceive.  Honestly, I believe every mother deserves an easy baby but some of us just get lucky.  This leads us to my second topic...

I DON'T THINK I CAN DO THIS WITH TWO!  We were getting ready for church yesterday morning, and as I was chasing a half dressed Kinley all I could think was "How am I going to get us to church on time with two kids?"  That's all I really have to say about this topic.  I'm basically numb with fear.

Third topic!  And most frustrating.  When is Griffin going to be scheduled for his VP?!  This one is driving me batty.  Seriously, what's the hold up?  EP was approved 2 1/2 weeks ago and he's had his VI, so what's the dealy-o?  Again, not much to say on this topic.  I'm just ready to go get my son.

Random, unimportant topic.  I'm felling really good about our packing situation.  I was very concerned for a while that we were not going to have enough room for everything, but we purchased two BIG suitcases and I've packed gifts and donations and we're looking good!  I'm feeling quite confident now!  =)

News!

I called DC this morning and the man on the phone said Griffin had his personal appearance (embassy appearance) today!  But his visa interview is not scheduled yet.  The visa interview is always the last thing that happens before travel call so I wasn't surprised.  He does, however, still need his visa physical.  We are supposed to be notified when it's scheduled and we've heard nothing. 

I have been waiting so long to hear DC say "I see his picture!"  And when I heard those words today I just about jumped out of my skin with excitement.  We are SO close.  Some of my adoption mom friends think travel call will come next week!  NEXT WEEK!!!  Please, please let it be NEXT WEEK!

Progress Report

We received a new, very detailed progress report on little man today.  I was so excited to see that it was more than the average well baby check.  The report we got today allowed us to get a small glimpse of Griffin's precious personality.

The report is dated 2-11-2011 so this info is a couple months old.  He is crawling and standing alone for more than 10 seconds.  He opens drawers, takes things out, and "messes around."  LOL!  Bangs toys together or on the floor.  Plays peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake.  When he's happy he giggles and when he's playing he laughs loudly.  I can't wait to hear his laugh.  Babbles a lot.  When he hears music or the foster mom sings songs, he moves his body back and forth, dances, and claps.  He's eating vegetables (carrots, potatoes, and onions) mixed with rice gruel.  He likes apples and pears pressed out in a juicer.  For snacks, he eats cookies, sponge cake, baby food, cheese, steamed sweet potatoes, potatoes, and yogurt.  He sounds like a great eater, possibly better than his big sister.  And just in case you're wondering, he has one well digested bowl movement a day.  Hahahahaha!

He goes to bed late and gets up late, 11ish pm to 9ish am.  He's napping 2-3 times a day and will sleep longer if the foster mom is holding him.  He doesn't sound spoiled at all!!!  Griffin sleeps well only if the room is quiet and dark and wakes up at soft noises.  "During sleep, checks if he is with the foster mother."  This is going to be tough when he gets home.  Looks like we'll be doing some co-sleeping on the mattress in his room. 

Here's the best part:  "If the foster mother says 'Hyeon-wu!  Do something cute!' he purses his lips and winks."  Oh my goodness!!!  I NEED to see this for myself.  What a little charmer!  =)

What I loved most about this report is getting a sense of how well he's being taken care of and how much he is loved.  He's in such caring, loving hands....I'm not worried about him at all.  I want him home because he's my son and I love him, but I know he's just fine where he is right now.

It Has Begun...

Yup.  It's for real.  I've started packing.  And let me tell you, the floor of Griffin's room is completely covered with luggage, gifts, donations, clothes, toys, and anything else I think may need to accompany us to Seoul.  I think our travel call is still a few weeks away, but this is my way of getting organized.  I need to see what else I need and what's actually going to fit.  Ha! 

I'm excited.  We're packing!