2 Months home and Chuseok pictures

Chuseok is Korean Thanksgiving and one  of the major holidays celebrated in Korea.  It takes place over several days and is a time for family, honoring elders and ancestors, good food and traditional clothing.  This year it was celebrated Sept 7-9th.  I would love to say we made a great Korean meal to celebrate but unfortunately despite the pictures Auden had a bad virus and I was focusing on making him feel better so he didn't miss his second week of school.  

The love between these two is just awesome.  Grant still asks to go get Auden (calls him "Audey") from school 4 times a day and Auden's teachers still tell me he talks about Grant all day.  Auden calls Grant either "Granty boy" or "little fella," it's hilarious and I'm not sure where he picked up these phrases that make him sound 80 yrs old, ha.  Their love melts my heart.  I can't wait until they can go to school together. 

This week marks finally being home as long as we were in Korea- 8 weeks!   It may sound like a silly milestone but it feels like we've been home so long and have done so much with Grant that we couldn't believe we were in Korea for that long!  

Auden Goes Back to School- PRE-K!

The day after Labor Day my big boy went back to his preschool for his last year!  He was so excited to go back and see all his friends and we were so happy to hear he got the teacher we wanted.  He wanted to take weekly Spanish and Tumbling classes again in addition to music class they have several mornings a week.  And they have the best playground with a secret garden.  No wonder why he came home and said he didn't miss Grant or Mommy (wipe tear!)! 

Little brother had to get in on the picture taking action as always!

 

 

Beyond ready to go in!

 

His classroom with awesome Ms. Nicole

I had to do a "look back" comparison picture!  Look how much his face has changed in one year!  He is definitely not a toddler anymore:(  What a difference a year makes at these young ages!

 

 

 

I'm going to miss my Auden!  What a treasured time it has been to have him with me every day since we left for Korea in mid-May.  Being a working mom he's been in school almost full-time his whole life so these months were so precious.  He is such an amazing kid with such a kind heart.  Besides us getting frustrated with his lack of listening to instructions (having to say put on your shoes, go potty, five times, etc) and noticing some regression (baby talk, copying Grant) he has done so well with the adjustment of the whirlwind of getting a 2 year old brother overnight.  He randomly says things like "Mommy, I wish Grant was in this picture with us" when pointing to a picture from last spring.  And last night he said  before bed "I thought I was never going to get a brother and that made me so sad."  Even though he said he didn't miss his brother after the first day of school, his teacher told us he talked about Grant and Korea all day long.  That made Cody and I smile:-)  And poor Grant has been saying "Auden School?" about 30 times all day long the last 3 days- he obviously is missing his big brother tons and isn't as eager to play outside and in the playroom by himself without him. 

 

Now I have one more month of maternity leave that I must savor with Grant!  It will be very nice to have the one-on-one time with him.  The plan is to wean him into daycare slowly starting in mid-September which I'm already dreading!  I just want to somehow explain to him that I am his Mommy forever and he will never be "abandoned" again.  I think he is already learning by dropping Auden off at school and picking him up everyday that "school" is not a permanent place.  But I know it's not going to be easy no matter what.  Until then, we are just going to have lots of fun:-) 




 

 

 

Goodbye Summer!

The last week of the summer with both my boys was a great one as we spent every day at the pool because we finally got some hot days where they wouldn't complain that the water was "too cold."  In fact, Auden surprised the heck out of us by wanting to take the swim test so he could go off the diving board.  He only swam a full 25 meter lap with me in front of him coaxing him along once the week prior, so I was shocked that he was determined to do it again by himself.  His first two tries he only made it half way down the lane and then stopped for a rest.  But he didn't get frustrated like he normally does when he can't do something, he was determined!  Without barely catching his breath he wanted to do it again.  I told him this would be his third and final attempt because he was obviously getting tired.  We clarified that he was allowed to dive in (which gave him a good start) and I was allowed to be at the end of the pool cheering him on which gave him a lot more motivation to get there.  And, just like that- he did it!  Then there was part two of the test- he had to tread water in the diving well for 2 minutes.  That was easy compared to swimming a lap, I just told him to keep doing twirls/swimming around in the middle.  And just like that- he passed the test and the lifeguard gave him a special bracelet that showed he was allowed to go on the diving board!  The lifeguard told him it was pretty special because not too many 4 year olds get it:-)  He loved that bracelet so much and was so excited for his first jump off the board!  I kept telling him that I was proud of him for passing the test but even MORE proud that he didn't get frustrated when he couldn't do it the first two times and stayed determined to try it again and again.  I took lots of videos of his first jumps but no still shots so these pics are from the videos and not too good of quality, whoops!

 

 

And here is a video of his cannonball that he ended with the first day:-)

Then we were off the Finger Lakes again for Cody's cousin's wedding!  The weather was a lot better than two weeks ago and we got a lot more boat time in the sun thankfully.  The wedding was beautiful and was up on a hill overlooking the lake.  Aunt Jody and Uncle Tom got to meet Grant for the first time and it was great having fun on the lake after the wedding with them so they could get to know their new nephew. 

 

Since no kids were allowed at the wedding I was the babysitter but the boys and I had fun at the pool and exploring the golf course.  Nana relieved me for 1.5 hours to watch the boys which was Grant's first babysitting experience.  Unfortunately he didn't do that great, eventually stopped crying and played a bit but we were greeted with huge tears and hugs when we walked in the door.  So, needless to say this gets me even more anxious for him to start daycare soon, ugh!  Cody and I had a great time being childless for the first time since two kiddos though, ha:-) 

 

Here are some pictures of our fun long weekend that ended the summer.  And what a summer it was!

 

 

 

 

Rain couldn't stop us...it was still warm so felt pretty good:-) 

 

 

Wedding hotel pool- my crazy jumping bean!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



First trip and oral surgery

Most of our plans this summer were up in the air (or non-existent) because we didn't know how long we would be in Korea or how Grant's adjustment would go.  We weren't sure if Grant's first sleep away trip wouldn't be until Labor Day weekend when Cody's cousin gets married at the finger lakes.  Since Grant was doing pretty well at home his first month and the weather is unpredictable Labor Day in upstate NY we decided to go for a long weekend to Cody's family's lake house this past weekend.  Unfortunately the weather wasn't great as it was pretty chilly and windy but we did get out on the boat a few times and spent some quality time with family and friends that still made the trip worth while.

Cody's best friend visited with his family (somehow we forgot to take pictures!) for dinner one night and we got to meet his new little baby.  Then, by amazing chance, my best friend Aimee was planning to be visiting her Grandmother who lives on the lake a mile away that same weekend with her kids so she got to finally meet her Godson Grant and we got to spend time together.  We also had a nice lunch with Cody's grandparents so they could meet their newest great-grandchild. 

Grant slept on a cot in our room and his sleeping wasn't perfect but not too bad.  Just a couple times I had to reach down in the middle of the night and stroke his back when he cried out for me.  I can only imagine how mixed up he was feeling and he did say he wanted to go "home" a few times.  I'm sure it's going to take a few sleep away trips for him to understand that we always come home and we are not traveling gypsies hopping from weird place to weird place.  In his mind, all he knows is that he left his home in South Korea to go to a hotel with us and then took a plane and has been here ever since.  So, naturally, when we got home we had to warm him back up to his room again. 

Here are some pics from the long weekend!  We won't talk about how I banged my knee cap on a screw on the boat while jumping onto it (while it was moving with two boys in my way) the first 30 mins at the lake and limped around the whole time.  Thankfully, it's finally starting to feel better. 

 

It was our dream to have Grant at the lake with us this summer and it came true!

And he LOVES the boat and water!

 

Watching awesome Daddy water ski

 

Auden loves jumping off the dock- underwear and all!  This kid has NO fear when it comes to water.

 

 

 Great-Grandpa Henry and Great-Grandma Dorothy

 

My best friends kiddos- awesome that both our kids are going to be in the same grades:-) 

 

Whole family on new raft!

 

Grant had his first smore!  Just wanted the chocolate and marshmallow:-)  

 

Nana got her first kiss from Grant the night before we left the lake!  Thanks for being so patient Nana!  Grant is so loveable but with women it has to be on his terms and it takes time:-) 

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Lots of fun on Pappy and Nana's 4-wheeler since the weather wasn't great.  So glad they brought it!

Update on Grant and sleeping:

His sleep has been interesting since he has been home over a month now.  At first he really liked his toddler bed (crib converted) and by the second week of him being home we could sneak out of his room and he was starting to sleep through the night.  Then one night he had a nightmare at 1:30am and was literally terrified of his bed, pointing to the bars saying "animals," "animals!"  Now, if I haven't mentioned it before- Grant is terrified of all animals.  He likes them from a distance (like dogs and cats) but doesn't want them anywhere near him or he will scream and jump into your arms.  He actually doesn't even like going in Auden's room because his bed has 10 stuffed animals on it and some of them bother him.  The peculiar thing is that his lovey from his foster home is a stuffed animal huge dog that he sleeps with every night, but whatever, ha.  So we had to get rid of the bed in the room and now he is just sleeping on a mattress on the floor which is what he was used to in Korea.  We still have the aerobed in there for us on the nights he wakes up at 4:00am and calls for us (then goes back to sleep when we lay next to him).  The trip set him back a little with comfort in his room and sleeping thru the night but the last two nights were good so I think we are getting back there.  All in all, we feel fortunate.  He takes naps and goes to sleep in his bed within 10 minutes of hearing his classical music then we can sneak out. 

Update on Grant's Teeth:

Unfortunately, yesterday our little baby needed to get oral surgery due to his mouth being full of cavities from bottle rot (sleeping with milk for two years), not brushing adequately (foster mom said he hated it so she probably gave up) and perhaps genetics and poor pre-natal care.  The agencies are trying to educate the foster moms on dental health (because Grant's issues are not abnormal) but when push comes to shove they probably just give in to the child and do what is easiest.  So he needed four fillings on all his molars and then got four crowns on his front four top teeth.  It was scary watching him be sedated and falling limp in my arms but I got to hold him as he awoke and he was comfortable in my arms.  Most the day yesterday he slept and then was ready to play, eat and smile by the evening.  The dentist was right, it's amazing how quickly kids bounce back!  Today, he is just about his normal self and was already riding bikes and the scooter this morning.  We are SO pleased with the results, she did a great job on the new teeth and they look really natural.  His bite is funky (will need braces one day) so she had to put two of them a little crooked so it wouldn't mess with his natural bite.  So they actually barely look fake!  We are really glad we got it done and we can't wait until tooth brushing doesn't cause tears down his little face. 

BEFORE PIC- you can see the top four are in bad shape and caused him lots of pain when brushing.  All jagged, they were yellowish (can't tell from pic) and one of them was barely there.

AFTER PIC- new pretty front four teeth!  Look very natural and they followed his old (crooked) bite so the crowns have a better chance of staying put until he is 6 years old.                                        

 

                                                     

 

By the evening he was all silly and smiles!

 

Grant is getting so good at the scooter by watching his big bro!

 



Almost one month home!

 

Next week will be one month home with Grant!  We still can't believe we spent 2 months in Korea and we are home only half the time we were there.  Sometimes we miss things about our life in Korea, mostly the sleeping in until 8:30am and having no household responsibilities, haha, but it is definitely nice to be home.  Grant is still doing great overall.  Since he showed signs of potty readiness in Korea I've been trying to potty train him this week at home with the "pant-less method" that I started Auden with.  He is pretty much potty trained when he is naked at home and always goes in it when he has to.  Unfortunately he has outsmarted me because he figured out if he goes a little bit every 15 minutes he gets more M&Ms as a reward instead of just doing a big pee once an hour!  We are definitely not there once we put underwear or shorts on yet so we will see where this goes.  No pressure since he is only 27 months old but we are pretty proud of him for going in the potty while he's a naked boy at home:-)

 

He had his first doctor's appointment this week.  They were so impressed with how much English he knows and how he already knew how to point to all his body parts on command (English comprehension).  He was so cute for them and was so excited to show them how smart he was!  Unfortunately he had to get some shots and bloodwork at the end so that was torture for both Grant and Mommy.  We just got a call last night that one of his levels from his blood work came back highly elevated which they are hoping is just benign because in every other aspect he looks good and he is growing well but it could be an indication of rare liver or bone diseases.  We need to get an x-ray of his wrist to rule out rickets first (which they doubt but just want to make sure).  So please say a prayer for our little guy that this is no big deal because that was definitely not a phone call I was expecting last night.  We also had our first post-placement visit with our social worker and she was also astounded to see how much English he understood and was already speaking in 2-3 word phrases:-)  She was so glad to see how well adjusted and happy he was after a bit of a rough start in Korea attaching to Mommy. 

 

Now for some pictures!  This last week was full of fun with visitors, playdates, birthday parties and outside fun!  Mommy and the boys are definitely enjoying maternity leave!

 

Auden did two lessons last week with a lifeguard at our pool and he is getting his freestyle stroke down!  He just needs to learn to breath on the side instead of forward.  We are so proud of him, such a little fishy!

 

 

Daddy's dream- Auden meeting him on our street to do the last 50 yards of his commute home from work with him now that he can ride without training wheels:-) 

 

 

My childhood friend Kerry stopped through town last weekend and slept over with her family to break up her trip from going back to New York after being in the Outerbanks.  Her little guy is only 2.5 months younger than Grant and they were exactly the same height and weight:-)  Grant was actually pretty good with playing and sharing with Henry too, which is usually pretty hard for him with kids his own age.  We had a great night together!

 

 

 

 

Then we had a little visit with my old college friend Angie and her two kids because they were in the area visiting other friends.  It was great to see how big both her daughter and son have gotten, they are so sweet.  Unfortunately it was right after Grant got tons of shots at the doctor's so the visit couldn't be too long before he was out for a nap.   

 

 

This past Thursday we got to have a playdate at our friend's house that live on a private local lake 15 miles away from us.  We had a great morning and Grant LOVED his first boat ride and swimming in the lake.  I didn't even have to get in the water, he just jumped right in and started floating and kicking in his puddle jumper.  And then after watching Auden jump off the roof of the boat Grant jumped off the side of the boat 5 times (because Mommy wouldn't let him go to the roof after trying to climb the ladder!).  We are so lucky to have these friends, we met them at an adoption expo in November 2010 when we both were exploring options to adopt our second child after having our older sons that are only 4 months apart.  They did the domestic route and have beautiful little Tayo and now they finally got to meet Grant!  It felt like we both finally came full circle to grow our families after meeting over 3.5 years ago. 

 

 

 This kid has no fear when it comes to water!  He would have jumped 100 times if we would have let him!  He did it about 10 times:-) 

 

I think they are ready to go have fun at Keuka Lake next weekend at Pappy and Nana's lake house!