The Joy of Joe

Monday, February 27, 2012

Joe Sung Min - Then and Now, Pt. 2

Just a few short days after receiving (and accepting) Joe Sung Min's referral, we were pleasantly surprised to receive an envelope in the mail filled with new pictures of our handsome little man. They were taken around February 23, 2011, when he was almost 6 months old. Over the past few weeks we've had fun looking back at these pictures and comparing them to how he looks today. What a difference a year makes. Enjoy!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Joe's Baptism

Today Joe was baptized. He was super cute in his little outfit (I love etsy) and chatted his way during the service whenever the music stopped. Big sis Liv was all dressed up for the big occasion. When the moment of truth came, we KNEW he was going to cry. And cry he did when the water was poured (I'm talking a non-stop deluge). He stopped right away and was able to make it through some pictures after church - and a few at Grandma and Grandpa's house before taking a nice nap. It can be pretty tiring becoming a member of the family of God! :-)

We had a nice little party at Grandma and Grandpa's house with family and a few friends from church and school. We're thankful for those that came to celebrate with us. Oh, and we had cake too.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

It's A Boy! The Story of 2-18-2011

February 18,2011 is a day that changed our lives. One year ago, we got the phone call we had been waiting for what seemed like ages. (Technically, it was just over 3 months since our homestudy was approved, but in the midst of an adoption three months is an eternity.) Our social worker called around 9:45 in the morning to tell us that she had wonderful news. "It's a boy!", she exclaimed. My mind was racing and I was in a complete daze. Our prayers were answered. We got "THE CALL" - and it was a BOY! We planned to meet up later that afternoon to over all the paperwork and get all the details. I couldn't wait to tell Brian!

Of course, she had called right after Brian had called me during his break. So, I called Grandma to break the news to her. I'm honestly not sure who was more excited, me or her! Naturally, today was the one day that Brian took a late lunch and I could not get hold of him. I tried texting - no luck. I waited for him to call...nothing. I didn't even think to call his unit and have him paged. He finally called and I asked him if he could get out of work early so we could meet up with the social worker before her dinner party. We decided that I would get there first and go over the paperwork and he would meet us when we could.

Olivia was THRILLED to hear the news that she was REALLY going to be a big sister. To a BROTHER. Her brain was moving a mile a minute as well: "Can you believe it Mama? I'm really going to be a big sister. I think I'm going to be a really good sister, don't you?" I dropped her off at Grandma's house

The meeting was a blur. We went over his family history, his health record (what they knew of it) and the next steps. When Brian arrived, we reviewed everything again and finally, she showed us the pictures. From the moment we saw his pictures (even before then), we knew he was our son. And we could not wait to bring him home to complete our family.

These first pictures were taken when he was just 6 weeks old. Isn't he an adorable peanut?

Fast forward two and a half months and you can see how well taken care of he was by his foster family. They LOVED him and were taking very good care of him. We even got a picture of his (then) foster mom. So cute!

And 14 months later (almost to the day) here is our little man looking so grown up. He has brought us incredible joy - and turned our lives upside down.

And we wouldn't have it any other way...

Friday, February 17, 2012

Happy and Proud

Joe Sung Min has had quite a day, one full of several accomplishments. They weren't always easy, he didn't always like them, but when he realized what he had done, he would smile broadly and say "clap, clap, clap."

This morning at breakfast, he finally figured out how to take a bite off of food that he was holding. He certainly didn't want to, trying to hand me his toast between bites so I would feed it to him. What did I do? I took a bite out of it and said "thank you!". He didn't really like that either, so he figured he should try to do it himself. We still have a ways to go, but we're making progress! (And he is so cute when he is proud!)

After Olivia got home from school, it was time to take her and Joe Sung Min to get their hair cut. It was only his second time and he was less than thrilled. Once on my lap he was fine, but he was not about to have the clipper by his head.

Once we got home, he was all smiles, watching his big sister dance and jump around. She makes him laugh louder and smile more broadly than any one else can. He loves his sister and she loves him.

His biggest achievement of the day was his taking a few steps from the kitchen to the steps. Naturally, I was unable to catch his other "walk walks" but I'm glad I was able to capture him taking some unassisted steps. I have no doubt that in the next day or two, he will be motoring around the house at full speed. Until then, we'll enjoy his excitement of taking 4 - 5 steps, stopping to smile and clap before crawling off to more interesting things.
Joe-ji isn't the only happy and proud one; Brian, Olivia and I are bursting with joy and pride at his accomplishments. We can't wait to see what happens next.

The silly sister who loves her brother

Monday, February 13, 2012

Catching Up - Part Deaux

While I was having fun working in NYC, Brian was battling a sinus infection, Olivia was coughing so much she couldn't sleep and stayed home from school, Joe was, well, just as sweet and fun as ever. Brian took Liv to the doctor on Thursday and Joe Sung Min was a perfect little boy in the waiting room. Brian said he got a number of compliments and Joe was being his charming self, waving and smiling to everyone in the room. He is a cutie!!

On Saturday night, Joe was in rare form. He would take turns walking to Brian and then to myself and was so proud of himself. Every once in awhile he would plop down on the floor and "clap clap clap". During this, Liv was playing tug of war with Jazzy and Joe would not stop laughing. Luckily, I was able to catch some on video:

The weekend was spent resting and relaxing, playing and walking. Liv is feeling better, seems like Joe is coming down with a cold or maybe the sinus ick that has been going around the house. At any rate, there is never a dull moment and their smiling faces keep us going.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Catching Up - Part I

Yikes. I can't believe it has been a week since I last posted anything. For those of you who have been checking in, thanks for checking back. Hopefully I'll get back on the good foot again and get updates on more frequently.

This has been a crazy week. We took Joe to the doctor on Monday as we think he is having some reflux issues, and possibly a stomach bug. The doctor, wanting to make sure all bases were covered, ordered a number of tests for Joe: stool, urine, blood and some x-rays. We spent a few hours at the hospital and Joe Sung Min was charming everyone. So far, all the tests have come back normal (yay!) and all we have left is the upper-GI.

After his stressful morning, we went to Grandma's house so he could rest and get some extra love (not to mention a nice, long nap). When Liv was done with school, she came over too so she and her little brother had lots of fun playing together. He gets so animated when she is around!

While Joe is not fully walking yet, he is getting very close and is much more mobile. He is always up, always moving and bravely taking a step or two before deciding it is time to crawl for a few seconds. He is also getting himself into the standing position from sitting in the middle of the room. What a big boy!

I'm heading to NYC for a few days for work, so part two of this post will cover the highlights from my return to Ohio. Spoiler alert: Joe just keeps getting cuter!

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Sunday Fun Day

We absolutely love the bond that has grown between Joe Sung Min and his big sister Olivia. They are pals. Best buds. Sure, they get on each other's nerves from time to time but when push comes to shove, they look out for each other and can always make each other laugh. Today they shared lots of laughs playing blocks and just being silly in Joe's room.