You need to read this ...

I just had to post this.  Take the time to read it.  It's a fellow AP's blog post and is definitely worth reading. It's a must! I insist!! Read it now!!!

http://stickysloans.blogspot.com/

3rd Post Placement visit ...

This afternoon Mike, Taylor, Aiden, and I went to our social workers office for our last post placement visit! Why yes I'm excited!! It was our final official  visit with Hallie, our social worker.  So now we wait. (I remember so well  how I always would post about the waiting  and how much I hated it.) But this wait isn't near as long.  Hallie will write up her report and send it off to Holt in Oregon. They will complete their "consent" letter and send it back here.  Our lawyer jumps in at this point, and soon we'll be off to court to finalize this little guys adoption!!! :)

I still can not believe it's been 6 months since he's been home  - HONESTLY, I can't!  Like so many other AP's have said, it seems like he's been home forever, but yet it's only been 6 months!  Aiden is doing so incredibly well now.  I look at him sometimes and I'm just amazed at what this kid has gone through to get to us.  And I still can't believe Mike and I flew half way around the world to get him!!   It brings tears to my eyes some days.  He's so amazing to watch and he's attached to all of us, even the grandparents.  He even tends to get a little upset when the grandparents go to leave from visiting. 

Since Aiden turned 20 months old on Sept 3rd, here are 20 new tidbits about Aiden:

 1)  Has become a picky eater now. 

 2)  Loves to spit water, milk, pretty much anything out of his mouth at any given moment, for fun no less! ;)

 3)  Is scared to death of our home phone ringing. (I guess because it happens so rare!) hahaha

 4)  Tries to say so many words now, which I'm loving!

 5)  Loves to turn the light switch on for me and off when we're leaving a room, and smiles at his little accomplishment. 

 6)  Will run to me with open arms to give me a great big hug. 

 7)  Will look deep into my eyes sometimes like he's trying to figure them out.

 8)  Loves to look for his "buddies" at our local Kroger store that make his visit there so memorable! (Thanks for the balloons!) 

 9)  Waves bye bye to pretty much anyone now. 

10) Still loves to go outside and play. 

11) Can open all interior doors - scary!

12) Asks for "Juice" on a regular basis now.

13) Can point to his hair, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, toes/feet.

14) Sleeps from 8:30 at night till about 6:30 in the morning, give or take a few minutes either way. YAH!! :)

15) Unfortunately is fascinated by dog poop in our yard. (Probably because I'm trying to keep him out of it!)

16) Will give anybody "5" when they hold their hand out, even a knuckle "bump". 

17) Helps me with laundry from time to time. (Actually shuts the dryer door,even if I'm not quite ready for him to.) 

18) Can drive his remote control car in the driveway. 

19) Likes to ride our next door neighbors 4-wheeler, with his daddy of course! :)

20) Naps from 1pm to 3pm  most days. YAH! 

So our little guy has settled in pretty good around our house.  Tonight when I was putting him to bed, he had a bit of a hard time settling down to sleep, so I rubbed his back a little and let my hand stay close to his arm until he got quiet.  Then his little hand somehow found my littlest finger and slowly grabbed a hold of it and held it for a long while, then released it.  It was as if he was saying thank you mamma for being close, just when I need it.  It was the sweetest thing, almost made me cry.  

Most nights when I put him to bed, I'll stay in there just a little while longer after he's gone to sleep.  I look at him sleeping and I'm just amazed at his presence here, amazed at his life so far, amazed at what he has shown me, amazed at my life now with him in it, amazed at his courage, his faith, and his love.  What would  my life have  been with out him in it?  Thankfully, I don't know the answer to that......thankfully!   

  

Finally .... we meet!

It may have been close to a  year ago, I ran across this little girl.

This is Ella. Isn't she the cutest??? Her picture was posted in another mom's signature  on the Korean BB last year.  Eventually, I ran across her soon to be mother on Facebook last year, yes FB strikes again! I soon found out that Ella's mommie Cindy lived really close to where I live!  

After missing the cut off for Aiden's EP last year, there were a few moms that started a message thread on FB. We were all running within the same time line of all our required things getting processed. So we were hoping that some of us would travel at the same time.   This was so great to be apart of.  There were about six of us mom's messaging on that thread for what seemed like every day! It really was a life saver.  We all had one major tidbit in common, we were all waiting on the notorious Emigration Permit. So basically, we were all in the same "batch" (technical term for where I don't even want to explain what this means anymore!).  So when we all finally were getting down to Travel Call's the first of this year, we were all tearing that message board up, and I do mean tearing! And eventually, we all started getting "the call".   

Come to find out, on March 5th of this year, Mike and I were leaving South Korea with Aiden and Cindy and Nat were on their way over to South Korea to get Ella. So we basically met in the air.  So we missed each other by a day or two in Korea.  Talk about a small world!  So we weren't able to meet in South Korea, here, now six months later, we met for the very first time yesterday!  

Cindy had invited us to an adoption and support picnic through Joseph's Hope Foundation in Kentucky, which is close to where we live in Tennessee.  It was so great to see these two kiddos together!  Ella is the sweetest, cutest, and most adorable little sweetie!  She is so petite, Taylor and I kept saying how cute she was to each other!  Taylor really enjoyed playing with Ella at the picnic.  I guess it was a pleasant little break from her little brother who's all boy! :) 

We all had a great time at the picnic! It was so great to reminisce about our trips to South Korea and our experiences so far.  I was so happy to finally meet Cindy, Ella, and her family!  It was such a special day to remember always!  Getting together with them seemed like getting together with family.  Although Aiden and Ella aren't related, they each hold a special piece of their birth place that will tie them together for the rest of their lives.  And if getting together keeps that bond connected, then I look forward to meeting up with Aiden's family from now on. 

This is how great a time he had at the picnic! Need I say more! :)

Thanks again Cindy for the awesome picnic. It was so great to be apart of something so wonderful! I see another family reunion in the future! :)