A Little Bit O' Love....

This week was filled with little bits of love. We had a fun Valentine's day. Jae-min had fun passing out and getting cards from his friends at preschool. He even shared his little treats with Jaelah. And then my little loose lips (aka Jae-min) decided to tell Daddy about his present waiting for him when he got home from work. Oh well, no more surprises....but lots of laughs!!!

Here are the 2 Valentine cuties....
My second love moment of the week happened at the mailbox. You see, the day after Christmas we had ordered some special prints from a website kilsook. I have been waiting and waiting anxiously for these prints to arrive because after we got Jaelah's referral last year we ordered a big brother, little sister print and had been waiting for these other two so that we could frame them all and hang them. Here they are....
The little boy and little girl are wearing shirts with Korean Air on them. The poem is about a big blue stork delivering a family together. And do you see that print above.....this lovely lady sent it unexpectedly due to the large delay in the order. Its about having a special place in our family tree for Jae-min and Jaelah. Aren't they beautiful. I love them!!!

The last love moment of the week came in a package from Korea....specifically from Jaelah's Omma.
She sent these 3 hand knit sweaters which we actually have pictures of Jaelah wearing when she was in Korea. We also have pictures of Jaelah using the Pororo backpack and the hippo and hat were part of our care package that we had sent. There was a lovely note attached to it all.

My heart broke all over again as I looked at all these things and read that note. The guilt of what happened on that heartwrenching day came flooding back. The tears, the looks, the screams, the heartbreak was all remembered. My head knows that her foster family was never meant to be forever, but my heart still hurts for all they (and she) had to endure to get her to us...her forever family.

As I smell the sweaters it all comes back...they smell like Korea and if you've ever been you know exactly what I mean. Just a little more sadness in this story of ours. I have been working on gathering some pictures to send to her Omma so now I will make it a priority. All that went down that day can not change the fact that this little girl was loved.

Let's Have A Party!!!

This weekend we had a little birthday party for this little 2 year old.....After the initial warm up to the new people in her house, Jaelah enjoyed her special day!! She loved her Elmo cake....
She loved opening her gifts and thought this sneezey baby Elmo was too funny.....
She enjoyed playing with Jae-min's little friends and it was so nice to see her get involved with them by the end of the day. My heart did a little leap for joy as she ran and chased the boys because if you have followed our story at all, you know what a HUGE step that is.

It was fun to celebrate her and to see her enjoy herself made it even better.

By the end of the night we had this little pouty face.....
Clutching her Elmo balloon and off to bed she went. Whoa, parties sure do wear you out, don't they??

And now for this little party animal......
He had a great time celebrating little sis's birthday and even ended the night with his undies on his head. I think we're in trouble with this one, what do you think???

A Birthday Girl

Two years ago, on Feb 1st, a young woman gave birth to a baby girl half a world away. This courageous woman endured that pain and discomfort knowing what the end result was....you see, she had already made an adoption plan well before this day. She birthed that baby girl knowing that she would not parent her, that this would be the only birthday they would be together.

Did she hear her cry for the very first time and can she remember that sound today?

Did she run her hands through that jet black hair and feel how silky smooth it was?

Did she smell that new baby smell only to know that she would soon smell her no more?

Did she hold that baby girl in her arms knowing she was going to let her go?

Could she ever have imagined on that day of her birth that this is what she'd be like today......
Jaelah Yun-jeong turned 2 years old yesterday Feb 1st. For an adoptive momma birthdays are always so bittersweet. We enjoy all the celebrations here but we always remember in the backs of our minds their birthmother.....for without their sacrifice this celebration wouldn't be. I wondered often yesterday if Jaelah's birthmother was thinking of her, thinking of that little baby she once knew. I remembered how difficult this day was last year.....knowing Jaelah in our hearts but not really knowing her yet. I felt like I could relate alittle to her birthmother....to know how it feels to be miles away on your daughters birthday.

We had a small celebration at home. I had other plans to do some fun things but poor Jae-min came down with pneumonia so we ended up staying home. We played playdough, made salt dough, did crafts, made a cake, and the kiddos even put on a show for me!!! It was a great day!!!

Do you remember this little hat from last year????
Well, this year it adorned a little girl's birthday head!!!!
Jaelah enjoyed opening her gifts, but was very excited for the Elmo paper they were wrapped in. Here she is studying that little red monster!!!!
And Jae-min gave Jaelah her most favorite gift of all.....a little Mater truck. You see ever since Christmas Jaelah insists on stealing this very truck from Jae-min....and then fights ensue. So Jae-min thought Jaelah could use a Mater of her own. And she loves it!!!! After coming home from the store over the weekend Jae-min hid the truck under his bed and finally was so excited to bring it out yesterday and give it to Yun-jeong!!!! She said "hank you" and they exchanged a hug. And big brother beamed from ear to ear.
Happy 2nd birthday little one!!!! May you have a happy birthday surrounded by the love of your forever family. And may you feel the love of those you left behind.....as I'm sure they were thinking of you today.