Here he is!!

Please meet our newest son-----

Peanut was in charge of the camera, she did good!

I love this picture, he looks so attentive to the judge!

The night before I was getting clothes ready for the next day. Peanut and I always struggle over her clothes so I knew I didn't want to deal with it in the morning. We had to leave by 10:15a and we had us 5 plus our 6 month and 3 month old day care babies! As we were looking in her closet here hanbok (Korean dress) popped out at us. She tried the hat on and I was looking at the dress itself thinking it looked quite generous for her. Lo and behold, it still fits her!! It is intended to be worn at your first birthday! We found a compromise, quickly I might add. So, of course the boys needed to be dressed in Asian wear as well!!

So we walked into town hall, in a town of 3100 like this....


We were 10 minutes late and the judge was sitting on the bench already. YIKES! I am fairly certain we made our poor bil a nervous wreck. And they couldn't reach us on our cell phone because we had no coverage. :)) But our judge was AWESOME!! He had actually done our other 2 adoptions and is an adoptive father himself! He included the other 2 munchkins, talking to them and having them approach the bench to sign the actual adoption decree. They felt so proud and such a part of it all. Then he gave them each a lollipop!

The 3 amigos!

We celebrated by having home made spring rolls for dinner! YUMMY!!!!! It was the first time I made them and they were so good!! Everyone loved them, that doesn't happen very often!

My favorite pic from the day....Jet with my Dad, who by the grace of God was able to be there mere weeks after a major heart attack. As you can tell by his face, Jet is a real ham! My Dad was pretending to eat his lollipop.

On the drive home I mentioned to Papa, I wonder if the judge will still be around in another 2 years.......I will just say, I liked his comment.

I am going to continue to use our nicknames for the munchkins since I hope to keep this blog and am not too sure we won't do it again. ;))

Hope you enjoyed!

Pictures tomorrow!

Finalizing tomorrow!!!! We are all very excited. It is very different going to court to finalize with an older child. Jet is very aware of what we are doing and grasps at least a portion of the importance of it. I believe it will bring him a measure of peace in his comfort level as a member of our family!

Outfits were picked out tonight! We will most definitely be making a statement!!

I will get pics up tomorrow late afternoon after my 2 daycare babies go home!

Check back!!!!!!!!!!

Our Timeline

A few people have asked about our timing for finalizing, so I thought I would mention it here! We had our last post placement visit the beginning of November. Our SW gets our reports done very quickly but somehow November slipped through our fingers. My bil is our lawyer and in order for him to do the work and not charge us, he had to spend some time convincing others in his firm to allow him to do it. We also had the (one) judge who does adoptions out of town the last 2 weeks in December!

Under normal circumstances, we could have easily made it to court in December. Our agency has been fantastic and responds very very quickly to finishing the necessary paperwork! So no hold up on that part!!

We do have a court date!! January 29th!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One week and you can see his face!!!!

Jump!

Jet got up from the table this morning saying "I am so happy to have lots of days here" followed by "I am so happy to have family" all while smiling at me.

Later in the morning, Jet came up to me and asked if he should call me Mama or Mae. I answered whatever he would like to call me. I was fairly sleepy and not completely sure Mae was the word for Mama in Thai, but I was hoping. As I was trying to process this through my sleep deprived mind, Jet stepped up to the plate and was telling me Mae was Thai for Mama. I must have had some mighty confused look on my face!!

He chose Mae.

I feel very honored to be brought into his world enough to share the name he would use if raised in Thailand. I would love to know what is going on inside his head to bring him to this point.

Adopted children have so many losses in their lives. And they live with these losses forever. It isn't something that goes away after a time of adjustment. It does get easier, God willing. It may not take front place in their life or ours. But it is there and there is no instruction book that tells us when to expect feelings from their loss to surface. Or how best to help our children and ourselves cope.

I knew about the losses or so I thought until we adopted our first older child. It has opened my eyes to so many things/areas that affect our children because they are adopted. The loss of language, smells, tastes, customs, traditions, way of raising, teaching, faith, dress, way of life, family business......

At times I am overwhelmed by the losses these little beings have had so that I could be a mother. Their mother.

Other times, I feel sadness. For them, for their birth families, for their birth country. For myself, because it is hard when their hearts ache.

Then it turns to determination. You see, I know God is putting our family together. Without a doubt His hand has been on every adoption we have gone through. The following verse has meant so much to me through my grieving our infertility and accepting the path our life has taken. It has spoken to me many times, personally.

อย่ากลัวเลย เพราะเราอยู่กับเจ้า เราจะนำเชื้อสายของเจ้ามาจากตะวันออก และเราจะรวบรวมเจ้ามาจากตะวันตก Isaiah 43, 5

I believe God knew these children were to be ours before they were even 'knitted in their birth mothers' wombs'. Through all the trials and tribulations, heartaches and struggles, I am comforted by the knowledge that God will be with me through it all. All I have to do is ask.

I am determined to do my part in raising these beautiful munchkins that have traveled half a world to make a family with me. I am determined to help them cope with their losses the best I can.

I just take a deep breath, say a quick pray.......and jump!

Jet's Day

Jet wanted an exciting day and he got one! Just not sure I needed all the excitement that came with it.

My father suffered a major heart attack this morning and had a stint put in one artery. He is stable at this time, we wait to see what damage was sustained. My mother was admitted shortly after, a combination of previous health concerns and today's stress.

So no family birthday party and I was gone most of the day.

However, while the cat is away the mice will play!

A morning of DS and Wii play, lunch eaten AT Burger King, an afternoon of Wii, Star Wars movie, pizza (brought in, not Mama made!) for dinner followed by cake! All with Papa and the brother and sister!! Then the present opening. I was home in time for dinner and presents. Yeh!

A picture or two tomorrow, I am exhausted.

Please tell your family members you love them. And make sure you right with the Lord, for we never know the time or place. Blessings~

Signed, Sealed and Delivered!

We traversed to our lawyer's office today to sign the petition to adopt!! YIPEEEEEE!!!! It will be filed next Tuesday and we have a court date of February 5th. We can't wait!

Most exciting, however, is the birthday we are celebrating tomorrow. Jet turns 9 and is SO excited! He has had to live through his brother and sister's birthdays before he gets to celebrate his first with a family. And gifts.

Jet has truly not talked about anything else this week! Today by 10:15am I had heard no less than 5 times that tomorrow was his birthday. And I was only with him from 7am to 8:30! My sister had him for the rest of the time and heard it about 5x as well!! LOL

He is just a little excited. Maybe.

Check back tomorrow night for an birthday post!

Mama and Daddy's Son

After I realized Jet was still concerned about being here in our family forever, we have talked about it quite often.

Yesterday I was filling out a form for our lawyer and called Jet over to confirm with him his official name. I explained the papers and it was so we could go to court to have him as our son FOREVER.

Today, Jet and I were alone in the car (only a daycare baby along) and he said:

"I can't wait till we go somewhere and someone says I am Mama and Daddy's son forever. I never have to go anywhere else."

I have explained to him no matter what anyone says, he is our son! I hope going to the *officials* helps to give him some piece of mind.

We can't wait either, buddy!!! But you are OURS no matter what anybody says!!

Then I can show his face!!!!!!!

Hot and Cold

Jet has been home 8 months as of yesterday. He has had alot of changes in this time. Obviously! We knew this going in to adoption, especially of an older child.

One we had really not put too much thought to was the temperature changes and it's affect on his body. The obvious was there. Jet lived in a very warm climate, we have cold/winter-y weather for about 5 months of the year. We KNEW he would be cold and would need many layers of clothes. Jet came home at the perfect time to adjust the best one could. It was early May and we had summer to look forward to.

We could tell he was "warming" up to our weather when he was able to stop wearing a fleece hoodie. Outside. This past summer.

He has been at least cool to the touch this whole winter so far. Even with 2-3 layers on top.

The day after Christmas, the munchkins and I headed up to Minnesota's North Shore for a snowy vacation. We had no tv or internet where we were staying. We knew it was cold, we were only 1 hour from Canada! We bundled up and headed out.

By our third day, Jet was not quite up to his usual active energy level. He had asked me 2x for water to drink and said his mouth was dry. I can count on one hand how many times Jet has asked for something to eat or drink. Including these 2x.

After lunch, I happened to end up with my hand on Jet's head and realized he felt hot. His temp was almost 103*!

There was no other symptoms. Never was. I kept him in for a day and we started to think maybe dehydration or temp change.

It turns out it was just too much of a weather change. His poor little body was attempting to regulate itself to this wild change.

I mean in just less than 8 months, he went from 105* weather to 10* highs with -25 to -30* weather including wind chills!

Our kids are amazing if one really looks at all they endure when coming home to their forever families!

Twister

We received Twister from Santa and what an incredibly smart guy he is!! This game is made for older children recently adopted from another country!

It teaches 4 primary colors and your left from your right!

Jet is able to play this game without having to be paired with someone as he is with most games.

He gets the left and right correct most of the time now.

It is when he copies his sister, Peanut, that he gets it wrong! ;))

Oh well, it will help her too, I guess! LOL