* Happy Days *

These last few days with Matthew home have been so wonderful and he is adjusting better than we had ever imagined he would! He loves to eat, is sleeping at night (in his crib for the last two nights I might add!!), and is just a happy little guy most of the time. Yesterday we took him to the doctor for a check-up and found that he weighs a healthy 20 lbs :) He has a slight ear infection, is teething (his first tooth popped through his first day here!) and has been congested since he arrived, but despite all this he has been smiley and content most of the time. Needless to say we are ASTOUNDED and THANKFUL for how well he is doing!

For the most part we have just been hanging out at home getting to know each other. We took a walk outside which was lovely, and went to visit Grammie (Brad's mom) yesterday. Matthew is such a little charmer and everyone is so in love with him already :)

Especially Mommy!

Home at Last!

Ready for more pictures?? :) It was so hard to pick out just a few to share - these last couple of days have been filled with amazing memories and special moments, and we are just soaking it all in and enjoying getting to know Matthew.

The transition is going really well so far, better than we anticipated I think. He has taken to both Brad and I very quickly and is willing to be comforted by both of us. I must add at this point that I am married to the most amazing man and it has been incredible to see him become a daddy! He is so hands on and it's been so wonderful to work together through this time.

Nighttimes have been the hardest so far as we expected, but they really haven't been bad. Matthew was used to sleeping with his foster mother so for now we are just doing a lot of holding and we are letting him sleep on us at night on the couch. It is working okay so far and we *hope* to begin transitioning to the crib soon! We were excited that he actually slept 20 minutes in the crib yesterday! There is hope!

But for now, who can be upset that they get to spend time doing this:

Or this:

Matthew is enjoying his new toys and likes to play and chew with everything!

He is such a little sweetie!

He absolutely loves our Ergo baby carrier! This thing is a life saver - he loves to be held while you walk but I've gotta say, he's quite a heavy little guy and these momma's arms are getting a workout already! The Ergo really helps take the pressure off my back and arms, and Matthew and I can still be together :)

More snuggle time. This just melts my heart!

And speaking of melting my heart...here's our handsome boy!

This is the first picture we have of him smiling! He likes the Exersaucer!

My happy little boy:

Reading books together:

We are so thankful that Matthew is doing so well. He has been through a lot in the last few days, and we know he is grieving for his foster family. On the way home from the airport he cried for about the last hour and just kept saying, "Omma" which means Mother in Korean. Talk about breaking your heart - I cried right along with him, knowing how sad and confused he was. He has still cried for her a couple of times since then, but much less, and seems to be finding comfort in Brad and I. We are so thankful to have him here and are enjoying every minute of this!!!!

The Big Day!!!!!

Yesterday was incredible! I am trying to think of what words to use to describe it, but it is almost impossible! How about this: one of the most amazing moments of my life and even better than I ever dreamed it could be.

Matthew is napping on Daddy's chest right now so I thought I'd quickly post some pictures. The day was full of emotions but somehow I managed to stay fairly calm throughout the day and was able to enjoy it fully. We know that so many people were praying for us and for Matthew and we felt those prayers yesterday. We are so grateful to be loved by so many people!

Once we knew Matthew's flight had arrived, time seemed to stand still! Waiting to see him come out was so agonizing! But at long last, Brad gasped and pointed and said, "There he is!"


We are so grateful for the kind and gentle woman who escorted Matthew here. We can tell she took good care of him and she was so very sweet. She walked up to us, and handed him to me, and without a sound Matthew put his head on my shoulder! It was absolutely amazing. Everything around me disappeared and all I knew in that instant was my son was in my arms.

One happy momma!

One overjoyed papa!

I hear sounds upstairs that Matthew has woken up so I will be back soon with more of an update. Let me just say that yesterday was a gift from God, and our son is a blessing that I am so thankful for! He is so precious and I love him with all my heart already. Praise the Lord!

19 Hrs and 41 Mins...But Who's Counting?

Four years ago we began our journey to become parents. Along the way, the road twisted and turned, and for a while it seemed that it would never end.

But tomorrow, the waiting will end...and we will become mommy and a daddy to the most precious boy we could imagine! It is still hard to wrap my head around this, and the emotions of the last couple of days have been overwhelming. It's hard to put into words how blessed I feel right now.

Tomorrow around noon we leave for the airport! We have friends and family going with us, and I am looking forward to meeting our son with so much anticipation. I believe that right now he is at the airport in Seoul, ready to get on the plane. I am praying for our sweet boy, that he is not scared, that it will not be a difficult flight, and that he will be at peace.

I thought I'd share a few pictures of some of the transformations around our house. This weekend we got a new bookcase, got his toys all ready, put out his books...

We also finished (for the most part) Matthew's room! I love how peaceful it feels and I cannot wait to be rocking my little boy in that chair!

Tonight I packed a diaper bag for the first time in my life! It was so much fun to realize we are finally going to be using all of this stuff we've been gathering for him for so long!

Today I heard the song that became the theme of my "waiting" time - it is called "Worship in the Waiting" by FFH. It was so amazing to hear it come on the radio today, after not hearing it for months and months. It was like the end of a chapter of my life...and the beginning of a wonderful new chapter!

"I will worship in the waiting

I will walk these sands beneath my feet

Though the winter winds are blowing

The ground is not frozen underneath

I will worship and not grow bitter

Cause I know You see the end of it all

With the spring will come the rain

And I'll see what was gained

In the waiting"

I thought about those days when I cried and cried and wanted so badly to become a mommy...God saw my tears, and heard my prayers, and I know He saw the end of it all - He saw tomorrow! How thankful I am for this amazing journey and for God's grace that has carried me through.

TRAVEL CALL!!!!!!!!

Today at 12:30pm

we received the call we have been waiting for...

praying for...

longing for...

to hear the wonderful news that our son Matthew

will be joining our family

this THURSDAY

September 24th

(which happens to be my mom's birthday!)

Our hearts are overjoyed

and we are praising the Lord for His goodness.

"I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him."

1 Samuel 1:27

The Best Five Years

Yesterday was our five year anniversary! The sky was blue with no clouds to be seen, just like on our wedding day, and I thought back to that special day when Brad and I said our vows to one another, promising to love each other and stick with each other no matter what.

These past five years have been so amazing and as I looked back over the time I realized how truly blessed I am to be married to this man. We have had our share of ups and downs over these years, encountering some things we never dreamed we would face when we got married, but thankfully I can still say these have been the best five years of my life. There has been so much laughter, so many good times together, and the smiles by far outweigh the tears. We've learned a lot about love, and though I know we still have a lot to learn, we have grown so much closer as we've walked through life together these last few years. We are so excited as we look forward to this next phase of our life and as our family will soon be growing :)

Brad got me this beautiful picture for our anniversary that has one of my very favorite verses on it. "God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear..." Psalm 46:1-2. For me it kind of sums up the last five years - we have learned this together, and I'm so thankful to now have this visual reminder about the great God we serve. It made me cry...happy tears :)

I must admit, I was hoping that we would get our travel call as an anniversary present...but the Lord's timing is always perfect, so we wait and pray that perhaps this week we will hear those wonderful words we've been waiting so long to hear - "Your son is coming home!"

Let's Talk About Something Else...

With everything going on lately I am having a hard time thinking about anything other than my little boy and when he will be here. But the Lord has been gently reminding me to keep my eyes fixed on Him - the Giver of this most wonderful gift! I am praising Him for all He has done for us and thanking Him for answering my prayers.

On Tuesday, I attended a ladies Bible study that I am so excited about. We are going to study the book of Esther, and we are following a Beth Moore study that looks really hard but really good! I am ready to do some digging in my Bible and to learn more about who God is. I am thankful that the study started this week as I needed to be reminded about who is in control. I don't need to freak out, I don't need to worry, I just need to trust. My God has never failed me before and I know He won't now!

We Have VI!!!!!

I called DC this morning...Matthew's VI (Visa Interview) is scheduled for tomorrow (Sept 16th)!!!!

This is the last step before....TRAVEL CALL!

We hope that soon (maybe in the next week?) we will be hearing the wonderful news that our baby boy is ready to come home!

Praise be to God - He is so good!

Today's Stuff

Today's news: I finally had that doctor's appointment for my knee and I am cleared to keep running! Apparently it is my IT band (which he explained all about but I didn't really understand...of course, I still nodded and acted like it totally made sense!). Anyway, he gave me a cortisone shot and I've been feeling pretty good tonight! In a few days I should be good as new! The 1/2 marathon is still on, unless..

Well, you know what I'm praying for :)

At the start of our adoption journey, I saw this t-shirt on a website that said:

WARNING:

I'm in love with a child that I haven't met yet.

I'm in the process of adoption.

I am subject to cry at any moment.

Please bear with me until I'm on the plane to Korea.

When I first saw this I thought RIDICULOUS! I will never be like that! I will never be subject to cry at any moment. I will be patient and trust the Lord and I will not be ridiculous about this.

I am now thinking about ordering one of these t-shirts. :)

No, not really - although it might be a good warning for everyone around me at the moment! What I mean is, this is harder than I thought it would be, and harder than it seems it should be. Getting a new picture of Matthew last week was the best gift ever!!!! I loved seeing his beautiful face again and I am so very excited to hold him in my arms. I think I can honestly say that I trust the Lord more now than I did at the beginning of this process, because I have had to depend on Him so fully, so I know that in His time Matthew will be with us, and I know that He will give me what I need to hang on for these last few weeks until he arrives. I am dreaming of that day all the time now! I continue to marvel at the amazing things the Lord has done for us and am so so grateful for this journey.

And the best is yet to come!

My Gorgeous Boy

My dear baby boy,

I know that right now you do not know that far across the world, there is a heart that is aching for you. You have not yet been held by this momma who has waited and cried and prayed for you for so long. You have no idea that in a home far, far away from where you are right now, many happy tears were shed tonight when your picture appeared on a computer screen. And even though you don't know it yet, sweet boy, you are loved so deeply already by your daddy and me. We can't wait to meet you, and sometimes it seems like the days are going by so slowly. I think of you all the time and wonder what you are doing, pray that you are safe and happy, and dream of the day when you will finally be ours. I hope and pray with all my heart that it will not be long now, and that soon I will hold you in my arms and whisper to you how much I love you.

Your Mama

A New Project

I am getting ready to take on a new challenge:

my very first sewing project!

My friend Katie assures me that we will be able to turn this fabric:

into curtains for Matthew's room!

I think that might require a minor miracle...

But I am excited to learn to sew and glad

to have a friend to help me :)

I hope she is patient, and I hope she is still my friend

when this project is complete!

I can't wait to share pictures of the nursery!!

10 Miles!

In High School, I wasn't on any sports teams.

I was part of the Math Club.

"Athletic" and "Sporty" aren't words I would use

to describe myself - ever.

But today I did something I never, ever dreamed I could do.

I ran 10 miles!

Thank you to my dear friend Kristy who sacrificed her time to join me on her rollerblades while I ran. I owe you big time, Kristy!

It is hard to believe that a year and a half ago when I started running again, I could barely run for 1 1/2 minutes without getting out of breath. And today I ran for over 2 hours. Woah.

It is also hard to believe that I used to just put on a pair of shoes and run.

And now I have to plan the night before and take all this stuff:

I'm feeling a bit like a real live runner tonight :)

I hope I can walk tomorrow!

Up On the Roof and Moving Day

We had a very productive Labor Day weekend!

Brad and Chad helped with a roofing project at Brad's dad's house...

I stayed home and enjoyed my quiet time, doing some cleaning, writing thank you cards, and reading my book out in the sunroom. Brad put up twinkle lights in there for me...it is for sure my favorite room in the house now!

Today was a big day for my family as my youngest sister, Sarah, moved to college! She is the last one so I'm sure it is a bit strange at home for Mom and Dad tonight. She is attending a college nearby where my sister, Joanna, and I went 8 years ago. It was a strange feeling to be moving Sarah in...it feels like a lifetime ago that I was in college! That was a wonderful time of life, and I just know Sarah is going to have so much fun, but the first few days away from home can be a bit brutal. I'm feeling very motherly tonight, worrying about her, hoping she is okay, and wondering if she has everything she needs!

My little sister is all grown up!

Getting Ready

Sigh. I don't want to be in the waiting anymore. I'm having one of those weeks...and the days feel like they are dragging on. My emotions are so near to the surface, but on the bright side I did NOT cry at ANY point today :)

Hey, it's a pretty big accomplishment right now!

But wait I must, so while I'm waiting I am trying to continue to enjoy the "getting ready" phase. We've been working on the nursery, and once I put away all the lovely new baby clothes we got at a recent shower and find the floor again I may even share some pictures!

This weekend was wonderful! My sister and I headed home to Canada where my Mom and their church (which used to be my church) gave me a lovely baby shower! I was so overwhelmed by everyone who came and the love that they showed me. My mother-in-law, her sister, and my sister-in-law were able to come as well which was very special.

I could not believe all of the goodies we received! So many lovely things - toys, clothes, special books and photo frames. I can't wait to tell Matthew about all the people who were so excited to meet him!

Other than that, not much going on here really. I've still been running (although I am praying daily that I will NOT be able to make it to the 1/2 marathon on Sept 27th because of Matthew being here by then!). This week I did 6 miles on Saturday, 5 miles on Tuesday, and 4 miles tonight.

I am scheduled to run 10 miles on Saturday!!!! This is my longest run in my training schedule...and I know I can do it :) That is quite the feeling!

Another Day Closer

Look who is 9 months old today!

I sure hope I don't miss too many more milestones with this sweet boy...

And speaking of Matthew coming home, we are getting closer :)

On Monday I called and found out that Matthew's P3 was send from the Embassy in Seoul to our agency in Seoul on August 25th! Basically this is just a packet of information and it sounds like stuff has to be filled out and his physical has to be completed, and then the P3 is sent back to the Embassy where his Visa Interview (VI) is scheduled.

Brad keeps laughing that it's called that and says that he hopes Matthew answers all the questions correctly! Obviously though it is not really an interview :)

Apparently it usually takes 2-4 weeks for P3 to be returned (although it can be longer).

Once that is returned and he has VI...TRAVEL CALL!

So we are almost almost ALMOST there!!! I mean, we are talking in weeks now. It could still be several weeks, and things can always take longer than expected...still, it is hard not to hope that it won't be long until I am kissing those little cheeks!!!!