Korean Children's Day

We celebrated Korean Children's Day at a local Korean Presbyterian Church. Our good friends Scott and Leslie reminded us that it was exactly three years ago today that Rob and I decided to journey through adoption. Isn't life ironic sometimes? Anyways, we instantly met up with our good friends Jared, Owen, and Avery upon arriving. We were welcomed by Sue Pang and Margie Wasielewski. Then, we were treated to a traditional Korean dance, a traditional Korean musical band, and a Tae Kwon Do demonstration. Evelyn watched intently as the young girls danced in their Hanboks and really was entranced by the musical instruments--especially the drum. As much as she loves to bang on things, we think we may have a future drummer on our hands! Unfortunately, we had to leave before lunch was served as Daddy had to go to SLU to study for more finals and Mommy had to be home for the carpet cleaners. Needless to say, Evelyn was asleep in the Pathfinder in no time on the way home. It was a fun-filled morning!

Finally Final!

Exactly one year ago today we received the referral for Evelyn. Today we finalized Evelyn's adoption. It was definitely a full-circle moment for us. The day started hectic as Evelyn awoke with red, puffy eyes. Of course, Mommy called the dr. and took her in to see him. Eventually, Mommy will learn to listen to her first instinct as I was right--it was allergies! The dr. gave us some eye drops and allergy medicine. By the time we headed to the courthouse, Evelyn looked like her normal, sunshiny self. Court began at 1:30 and we were second in line to go. Judge Cunningham presided over the hearing. It was very quick! By 2:30, we were headed for home and Daddy was headed to SLU to take a final. As we look back on the journey, we are so grateful for the sacrifice the birthmom made in giving her up for adoption and the excellent care she received from her foster mom, Mrs. Lee. It has been a long journey to get to this point. Now, we can officially say we are a family of three!

Just A Swingin'

Evelyn is over her ear infection and is back to her old playful self! In fact, since our last blog entry, she has gotten her third tooth! We are thankful that she is finally getting some on the top now! The weather is also getting better as spring really begins to blossom around here. Today, Daddy installed her very first swing and we took her out to try it! Evelyn seemed to really enjoy it. She was laughing and kicking her feet quite a bit! As the spring turns to summer, we are looking forward to spending more time in the great outdoors!

Not Well

Evelyn has her second ear infection and she is just not herself. As I type, she is holding on to me and resting. She is running a fever and is fussy. Those seem to be the only indicators that something is not right. Our doctor gave us an antibiotic and we go back in two weeks for a checkup. Pray that this takes hold soon--it is breaking Mommy's heart to see her little one so unhappy!

Happy Easter!

Evelyn's first Easter at home was a cold one! So cold that we had snow falling! Needless to say, there was no Easter egg hunt outside for her nor any outdoor pictures. She was all dressed up for church, but had to cover up with a sweater and heavy winter coat. How can such a wonderful spring holiday be so cold? Hopefully, spring weather is on its way!

Vegas Baby!

We are a little ashamed to say this, but we went to Las Vegas for our first family vacation! It was a spur of the moment idea to go someplace warmer than here and where there wouldn't be a lot of spring breakers. Out of all of us, we think Evelyn had the most fun! She did very well on the plane ride and in true Evelyn style, never met a stranger while on vacation. We stayed at the MGM Grand Hotel, where they have a lion exhibit. We ventured down to it and to our surprise, the lions pounced on top of us (the exhibit allows you to walk under the lions--totally cool)! The family also stopped at the M&M factory and Coca-Cola factory in Vegas. Evelyn loved seeing all the lights of the city at night, but we think her favorite part of the vacation was the hotel bed (it was a king size with a pillow top matress and fluffy covers). She would just roll around and play in the covers and giggle away! Despite all the fun, we were glad to come home; until we actually got home. Unfortunately, our sump pump was kicked off and water came into the basement. We called a professional out to clean up the mess--kind of a bummer to such a great vacation.

And The First Word Is....

Mama!! Now we are fully aware that phonologically that is not practical, but it is true! She clearly spoke it for the first time yesterday evening and has continued with it today. Daddy is a little hurt and disappointed, but we are excited to hear her first word! Let the chattering begin!