New blog address...

In case you didn't see it on the last post, check us out at www.aseoulfulhome.blogspot.com

Last Post, but keep following on our NEW blog!!!

I had said all along that once we had been home a year, we would close this blog as Olivia's journey home is officially over. We have been in this house as a family for a solid year tonight!

It has been a WONDERFUL year and we thank you for following our journey from beginning to end. I am going to be turning this blog into a book, but would love for you to continue to follow our journey as we enjoy life as a family of four (hello....Oscar!) and pray for our next Korean cutie to come home to us! Please hop on over to our new blog home at www.aseoulfulhome.blogspot.com
I hope to see all your faces (and MORE) in the corner as a follower. If you have been following us and never clicked "follow" (I am guilty of the same) please click follow so I can link to your blog or just know who is reading about us.

HOME

Exactly a year ago, we were somewhere over the Pacific with a terrified little girl. We had been in the air 6 1/2 hours at this point. We had a long way to go!

I just wanted to get home. We were all tired and ready to begin the adjustment phase. I love to travel, but when it is time to be home, I AM READY. I don't want the travel part in the way (especially the 5 1/2 hour layover in Atlanta)

However, I was looking forward to our homecoming which still blows me out of the water to think about. What an amazing end to an amazing trip.

Yesterday was another day similar to a year ago as far as wanting to be home! We weren't sure we were going to be discharged, but at lunch, I told John, "let's take our chances...load the car!" We were weary of being in that small room and could see how much better our girl was. She NEEDED to be there as far as the rest of the week. I hate to think what might have happened had we not gone to the hospital Monday night. The care there was amazing. I know I have not ever had great things to say about that hospital, but I take all the bad that I have said and will replace it with praise to the nurses and doctors that cared for Olivia. They were all so kind, efficient and helpful. It is so nice to know that we have such wonderful care right here close to home. They even called today to see if we needed anything and to see what Olivia had drunk today, how many wet diapers, etc.
Olivia finally made the turn and we were released from the hospital around 7:30 last night. Late yesterday afternoon, I felt like we had a bull in a China Shoppe with an IV attached. She was everywhere! I knew she was feeling better because the day before, she didn't even have the strength to walk! Yesterday however, Olivia was pulling out the drawers and getting in them.

It was pretty funny, but clear that it was time to go home. She ate some food and drank some juice, but promptly threw it up. Once we got home, we had pizza since that is what we ate our first night as a family. She ate a full piece and kept it down!
Today has been a quiet day here. We have taken it slow and played as she wanted. I have no clue why, but I am exhausted! My time to be productive (while she was napping today) wasn't so productive. Hopefully tomorrow I can use the time better!
Though Olivia is not quite 100% back to herself, she is getting there! We will continue to go at her pace for a few days. She tires easily, and she is definitely not going at her normal speed. Thank you for all the prayers, texts, phone calls, gifts and love that you have sent our way this past week! It means so much to us!!!

Family Day and Feeling a bit better!!!

A year ago a sweet, terrified girl was placed in our arms. (Question...do you go on Korean date or US date? I think I have done a bit of both this week.)

She would have nothing to do with us and gathered her belongings (her jacket and blankie)everytime I would move them. We will celebrate tonight by having Pizza Hut. Unfortunately, she probably won't eat again this year. Normally, she loves pizza, but she just isn't quite up to it yet. I can't believe its been a year! What a wonderful year it has been!
Olivia Rae, you were truly made to be our daughter. We love every ounce of you more every single day! You are such a blessing!!

On another note....bringing us up to date, we are hoping to see home tonight. Olivia has made the turn and is becoming more her spunky self. Yesterday we saw her little eyes for an hour or two and today she has been up chattering since 9 a.m. Last night was the first night she slept beside me instead of on me and was able to get rest. She still has an IV, and her temp. was just 99.5, but we are so hopeful that today will be our day! It is great to see her personality come back out and her silliness! Here are some pictures that we have taken....sorry for the poor quality. My good camera had to be shipped off for a 'malfunction' so we have the cell phones.

I want to play my new piano, but I just don't feel good yet. (yesterday mid-morning)

She has done great with her breathing treatments! (last night)

Mommy and Olivia playing the piano that Nana sent yesterday (along with the rest of the toy store!) ;)--early evening yesterday

Olivia initiated eating this morning...then threw it all up 10 min. later. Small steps though!

Ready to color, but not feeling my best!!! (yesterday mid day)

Playing "drinking games" with daddy...just juice people. :) She loves to clink the glasses and say "cheers!" (yesterday afternoon)

BALLOONS!!!! (late afternoon yesterday)

Mom, this is a strange way to take a bath! (last night)

I love these balloons! (today)

And currently, Miss Olivia is eating some of Nana's delicious banana muffins!!! Thanks Nana! (just now!)

Still sick

We are entering day 4 in the hospital. Our nurse came in a bit ago and said that they are full on the pediatric floor, and she felt that Olivia is her sickest baby up here. I thought she had turned a corner yesterday as she ate 2 french fries for her Grampy and drank a few sips of a milkshake. She stayed awake for sometime yesterday too. Before then, we were only seeing about 5 minutes or so of her little eyes open per day. She has been so sick. She not only was awake, but we saw some life out of her....my friend Danyell was at the hospital with her mom and brought Olivia a balloon and bear. Olivia had fun looking at them and playing for a few minutes. Its the first time I think she has been aware of her surroundings all week.
Our doctor said her lungs still sound 'gunky,' but that she is improving. Her temperature finally broke last night and she is currently asleep on my shoulder. The minute she is set down or brought off of our shoulder she coughs uncontrollably. They have turned her IV down to try to get her to drink on her own. However, she now hasn't had a wet diaper since 7 last night. I tried some juice a few minutes ago, but she refuses. I wish she could understand that to go home, we have to get off this IV and she has to drink on her own. Poor baby. Hopefully today will be better. Our nurse said a bit ago that she doesn't see us going anywhere for a few more days, but I am hopeful that we will be home soon. What a week!!!
Just to continue with our celebration of being in Korea a year ago and meeting our girl, here is a picture from Feb. 16 in Korea. Regardless of being in the hospital, I am holding my girl....that is all that matters. She is in my arms and she knows I am not going anywhere. She knows she is loved. I don't care where we are!

Not the plans....

Yesterday, was Feb. 14th in Korea, so all day I would think, "right now we were....." We really haven't made plans for our family day, and John is now saying next year, we will definitely have plans. Unfortunately, Olivia's croup, turned into Pneumonia. I got her home last night and called the doctor as he asked to give him an update. He said he thought we would be best to go ahead to the hospital. So, luckily, he called in orders and we bypassed the ER. We first went for a lung x-ray. We go to her room and they began checking her out. The hospital now has a pediatric floor that opened two months ago. This little guy was waiting on her pillow.

She really hasn't eaten since last Thursday, but they were concerned that she isn't drinking. She was only getting a little. So, I thought an IV of fluids and we would be on our way. She was so dehydrated that they couldn't find a vein big enough. It took 5 different people, 6 or 7 tries and one shot of antibiotic before she had the IV at 11 p.m.

We got there at 7. She was such a good sport. She would cry and say, "owwww!" but that was the extent of it. She just closed her eyes. I have found that this is how Olivia handles things that she doesn't like. She closes her eyes and stays quiet. She feels miserable! They came in and got her temperature and it was 105. Later, they came to tell us that she had pneumonia not in just one, but both lungs. Our doctor only heard it in one lung earlier in the day at the office. She is a really sick little lady. They went ahead and did an RSV swab and returned in about an hour to tell us that that, too came back positive. When she saw the doctor yesterday he jumped back when he saw how red her little ears were. He said that they were fire engine red. When he did rounds this morning, I asked if he thought we would go home tomorrow after he said that we would be there again tonight. He crossed his fingers. He later came back and said we should probably expect at least 2 if not 3 more nights. She is still pitiful. Grammy and Grampy couldn't stand not seeing her, so they stopped by for a bit. When you come in you have to put a gown on because she is on 'isolation.' Grampy had a lot of fun blowing up the gloves and being silly. There is never a dull moment in our family! Nana wants to come so badly, but we told her no because she takes care of Mickey's grandfather who is 104 years old. We can't chance getting him sick.

I put my shoes on to come home to grab a shower (seeing as I am still in my work clothes from yesterday!) and she sat forward and said with her little lip turned upside down, "me go." I told her mommy wasn't going anywhere and unzipped my boot and sat back down. Luckily, we have both been able to be there the whole time. She is definitely wanting her daddy right now.

We are giving her gatorade through a syringe, but she really isn't interested. The IV is providing fluids and an antibiotic, but we are trying to motivate her to try on her own. Everyone there has been so nice! So....pray for our little lady.
Now ask me how much I wish I were in Seoul?!?! Yep, put me on that big blue plane....with a healthy Olivia. I hate that she is sick. Lastly, I asked the doctor when he thought she could return to school (MDO) and he said that with her being such a preemie and having lost so much weight (back to 21 lbs at 2 1/2 yrs) and that she has now been so sick, that he would advise her not going until flu/RSV season passes. I thought, ok....that is March. Wrongo....he said April. :( So, I am saying end of March beginning of April. :) She was beginning to show progress with her 'buc buc' (puke bucket) and all. No really, she reached out for her teacher the other day. She loves them both and often calls them by name. She needs the socialization with peers, discipline from someone aside from family and language/speech with kids her age, as well as her anxiety to know that WE WILL come back. However, I need her to be healthy. I guess I have to choose the more important one which is health. So, it looks like MDO will be on hold until late March/beginning of April. I hate that, but she will get back in the swing.

Korea....day 2 (a year ago)

We just called mom and dad and reminded them that a year ago they were currently hiking a mountain in the COLD. (We took the tram up) :) It is noon in Korea. Then I realized I was a day off. We had done that the day prior on the 12th. It is now the 13th there. So, we were visiting the palaces. What an amazing day. We got to see them perform. We got there just in time. It wasn't many more hours until I began receiving sweet messages of friends waking up at US time to pray for us as we met our sweet Olivia for the first time. I think I truly saw my REAL friends in this process. I know you don't get many in life, but with the ones I have, I am set. That is a day I will NEVER forget. As I have snuggled her most of the day today, since she is sick, I have thought a lot about that first meeting and how terrified she was as were we! What a year, what a blessing!!!!

Sick again....

Well, Olivia has the croup yet again. She just got over it 2-3 weeks ago, but she is down for the count. I hate it because today we are celebrating Annelyn's 5th (I CANNOT believe she is 5!) birthday. It looks like I am on my own for the tea party, and daddy and Olivia will hold the couch up with lots of Bubble Guppie episodes. Bless her heart....she gets so upset at drop off for school that she throws up. It was so bad this past Tuesday that her teacher had to go home and change clothes. So, she now has a bucket, or buck buck as she calls it. I just figure this is her anxiety coming out, and that she will outgrow it. In the meantime, we have a buck buck. She didn't have much of a cough on Thursday when she went to school, but had a lot of congestion. She played fine and seemed fine. She reached for her teacher which is a great sign to us that she is starting to like it. She had a great day! However, she threw up at naptime (in her buck buck nonetheless). I talked to the director and she agreed that it was simply congestion. When Olivia is sick, she doesn't play, eat or do anything. At this point, she was still playing and having a big time.
By Thursday night, however, we had a sick girl. So this mama felt kinda bad for telling her the day before, "no sick, Olivia." To which she responded, "no tick....buck, buck(nodding looking stinkin cute)." I guess I won't win that award for 'mom of the year.' ;)
So yesterday mom took her to the doctor for me. This was a first because I think/feel that is my job, but didn't need to leave work since I missed Wednesday due to John's grandmother passing away. She had a temp. of 102.3 and feels crummy. She pretty much slept yesterday, and has been up and down most of the night. Hopefully her fever will break today and she will be on the upside. I told her she has to get better before Tuesday...I don't want her to miss school.

(and might I add, look at that handsome fellow taking care of her. Oscar loves his sister!)

A year already!

A year ago today, we were out for snow. I got up to check email as I do any morning I am home. I opened our email to see one from our international agency that said, "Today is your day. Please call me." My heart jumped....it was our turn to finally get the travel call! We scrambled that day to find rooms and flights. We left for gorgeous Korea 48 hours later. I couldn't get to my girl fast enough! What a year!

We got our bags packed, and we were off! I don't think I should be sad over this anniversary, but I am. I am sad that our first year has past. I want to be leaving for Korea and bringing home a sibling. I am excited to live life and watch Olivia grow and change, but sad that the firsts are over. I know....odd. :/

The best phrase yet....

It might be because Olivia is talking to me when she says it, but the absolute BEST phrase she has come out with lately is, "me mommy." When we go around the room asking her to name everyone, she gets to me and says, "me mommy!" I LOVE IT!!!!!! I am the luckiest person to get to be "me mommy" to this great kiddo!

Gonna be a bright, bright, bright sun shiny day......

It is quite possible that I have a mini me in asian style. I do not walk outside without sunglasses on. I truly can't see. Olivia seems to be doing the same thing lately. I was looking through pictures and began to notice how many she is wearing her glasses in. (they are upside down the majority of the time!) As we walked both in and out of church Sunday, Olivia had her glasses on. At one point, she was under the seat in her bag and popped up and had them on. The row behind us about laughed out loud.
Check out my super stylin' girl.

First love of sunglasses....thanks Ashley. :)

A girl on a mission!

I know it is blurry (hard to drive and take a pic....no mom and dad, I was at a stop light, not literally driving!) I bet the song "I wear my sunglasses at night...." will be in your head the rest of the day. :)

I don't know if I have said in the last 30 sec. or so, but I LOVE THIS KID!!!!!

6 nights out of 342 ain't bad....

Yes, I know there are 365 days in a year, but we have only had Olivia 342 of them. I truly can't believe that we will be coming up on our year mark soon! That post is for another day though. Last night, Olivia slept in her bed. This makes 6 total nights of sleeping through the night since she has been home. Can we say EXHAUSTED! She actually asked to go to bed around 7:45. Which if you know my child, that NEVER happens. I rocked her and laid her down in her bed. I then left in no time. This too, is rare. She usually needs to be rocked or know that I am close by until she is asleep. She must have been exhausted because this morning, I saw this...

...and she was no where in sight!

HOLY COW people, she has NEVER slept that much! Granted, I didn't get to bed til 1:30 or so, but still. I actually got worried while I was getting ready for work and went in to check on her. Here is what I found.

...a snoozing sweet girl....in her OWN bed. This afternoon called for a celebration. We went to Wal-Mart (where all good hicks go) and got a new toy. I thought this might make an impression on her for tonight. She was so proud of herself! It did as she went to bed, and we talked about if she woke up to just snuggle her animals close and go back to sleep. I have been up sewing and heard her a bit ago. I am about to head to bed, wonder if she is in there or if she was taken back to her bed?

Yes, we must have ALL animals on board. Pooh (my childhood stuffed animal, Zoe, School Zoey, Sheep (thanks cousins--he is HUGE!), and blankie (her towel that came home with her from Korea.) Add me in there sometimes, and that is one crowded toddler bed!!! When we rock her, she has Zoe, Pooh and blankie. One night John was rocking her and she said, "sheee...." She very patiently asked several more times, but John didn't understand. Finally she got right in his face and yelled, "SSSHHHHHEEEEEEP!" John couldn't quit laughing. I had a great laugh from in the den, too! She is hysterical!!!

Helping with the dishes

Whenever I put up the dishes, Olivia comes running! She gets a chair and pulls it up to the counter. She immediately asks to help, so I give her the silverware. I put the knives away first, and then she goes at it. She has many of my OCD qualities already, and I find her putting the silverware in the correct places. Sometimes she decides to add a little of her own personality and I get this.....

Don't worry, the ones she licked we rewashed. She is a great helper who brings a lot of laughs while helping. :)

Our Korean American

I was just going to post this great pic. tonight, but then I saw that today is Korean American Day. I am SO LUCKY to have been chosen to be this kiddos mama! I feel beyond blessed every time she hugs and kisses me. We will always honor her Korean heritage. It is part of her. Happy Korean American Day folks!
January 13 was declared as "Korean American Day" in 2003 by the US Congress to celebrate the centennial of Korean immigration into the US and to also recognize Korean Americans' impact and contributions.

Olivia's First Haircut!!

We went yesterday to see Nana and get Olivia's haircut for the first time. (Well, first time since she has been home with us.)
She has been pulling her hair up and saying, "Nana, cut cut." She definitely needed it cut.
She ended up cutting a full inch! Maybe we shouldn't wait so long before our next cut.

Checking out what is making her hair wet.

She loves a squirt bottle!!!

Oooh, can I see?

Keep your eye on the prize!

What a big girl I am!!!

Let me see!

Nana is telling her to be still for the 100th time. Look at Olivia's finger and what she thinks about it. We all got a good laugh!

Do I still have hair....let me check!

Ugh, this is such hard work!

Looking maybe a little nervous.

Thanks Nana!

One happy girl with a great new haircut!!!

Nana always has great suckers for me to choose from!