Best Christmas Present EVER!

We did it! We are truly at the end of this chapter! It could not have gone smoother! We stood before the judge, told our story, and introduced Joshua. The judge reviewed our paperwork and signed the decree! We came home with 2 copies of the decree of adoption. We should receive his birth certificate in a couple of weeks, then we can file for a social security number.
We met another family at the courthouse this morning. Keith & Holly McAfee were there with Claire, their little girl from South Korea. She became a part of their family in June 2010 also. They live in Hixson so we plan to get together soon!!
Thank you all so much for all your prayers! I can't tell you how much we appreciate your support!!

It's Official!

Finalization is Finally Here!

We have a court date!! This Friday, Dec 17th @ 8:30am, Joshua will officially, legally, be a member of our family! Finalization occurs after he has been with us 6 months. Thursday, Dec. 16 will mark 6 months so we couldn't be happier with the given date!
We have finished all 3 post placement home visits & he has adjusted very well. He is walking all over the place! He is signing well to communicate & speaking new words every day! We are very excited about a super special Christmas this year! It's hard to believe that Christmas 2008 we told the children & our family about our decision to adopt, then recieved approval for Joshua Christmas 2009. Now, Christmas 2010, we wrap up this initial part of a lifetime decision. Paperwork may be coming to a close, but we are really just getting started. It's quite an adventure, but I can't wait to see what else God has in store for my family!

Beach Trip 2010

Beach Trip

We took Joshua out to the beach for a few days last week. I couldn't wait to get him in the sand & watch him crawl around. He had a great time as I am sure you can tell from the pics!

Help! Where did this music come from?

Ok- so I pull up the blog this morning & this song is playing! I didn't put it on there. My song started playing right along with it..weird! I took my song off thinking maybe my playlist was just messed up, but this other song is still here! I seriously have no idea how to take it off. My background is gone too...HELP! Any suggestions?

First Post Placement Home Visit

This past Saturday we had our first post placement home visit. It went really well. It was obvious how well Joshua is adjusting. That baby just amazes me! He is such a joy- so happy & playful. He will just GIGGLE when we kiss & tickle him. He anticipates the next tickle & starts to giggle before we even tickle him. He only took 1 nap in the middle of the day for 2 hours both yesterday & today. He's sleeping well at night, gets up once for a bottle (which we are in the process of weaning).
The physical therapy dept @ Memorial Home Health (my work) gave a shower for Joshua & I Wednesday evening. Once again I am amazed at the support & love for this child. He brightens every room he enters & people are in awe of his "preciousness" (Is that a word? - no other way to describe it!). I have been so humbled as I have walked through this experience. God reveals himself to me through this child daily & I could not possibly be more thankful! He has brought pure joy into my home & my life. Living with Joshua is a perfect example of living a "rich" life in the spiritual sense. Not always easy with 2 other children, but SO WORTH IT!!!

Our newest new addition

Our newest new addition

So Emalee Grace is on the treadmill in the garage when a little neighbor boy comes by with 2 kittens. Of course you know what happened next- "OH mommy, mommy, she's so cute! Can we please keep her!" Well, for those of you who don't know, we have had 2 outdoor cats, Sonic & Smokey. Smokey, the grey, female cat has been missing for about 6 weeks now & it doesn't look like she's coming back. So, Emalee Grace is carrying this kitten (like a baby) around calling her "Smokey 2". I call Scott & he says "yeah she can keep it" so there ya go...our newest baby. It is actually working out great because it has given little Joshua some respite. Last night, Emalee Grace's friend, Lila Grace, came over & they played with that little kitten for a couple of hours. Joshua played in the den all by himself for over an hour! I wasn't sure he could even do that! He always has a playmate. So, we are now a family of 5 plus a cat & a kitten. Caleb & Emmy take turns playing with Joshua or the kitten- when we go on walks, one of them pushes the stroller & one of the carries the kitten. Perfect!

What a Great Day!

Took all 3 kids to the pool this afternoon & Joshua did great! We got there around 12:30 (as soon as he woke up from am nap & had lunch) and stayed until 3:00! He is such a trooper! He was tired by 3:00 but was still so good...he's so sweet & I could just take a nibble of that sweet boy in his swim trunks lounging at the pool! There were so many wonderful women there today & it was great just to chat some while he splashed or ate snack. He took a short nap when we got home, then was ready for supper. Our social worker called & cancelled our home visit (she had something come up with another family) which was originally scheduled for 5:15pm. Scott still came home early even though it was cancelled which made for a longer evening...good times...spaghetti for supper, then a family walk/run in the neighborhood. Joshua was so playful tonight- the late nap left him happy as a clam for the evening! The ice cream truck turned into the subdivision just as we got back to the house...perfect ending to a perfect day...I think we may do the same thing tomorrow...Life is good.

Grandmomma & Granddaddy

Just keeping it real- I sure ain't no Saint!

We took Joshua to Knoxville this past Sunday to meet Scott's grandparents & several aunts, uncles, & cousins. Of course, he was a doll & acted like his sweet self. He is truly settling in & more & more of his little personality is coming out daily. He's quite an inpatient lil booger- screaming (shrieking) when he wants something or doesn't get his way. (He embarrassed the kids at the ice cream shop today- they said, "mom, let's go...he's causing a scene!" ha- hysterical!! Now they know how I feel when that throw a fit in public!) Not sleeping as much these days either. Tomorrow will mark 1 month since we headed to Atlanta to meet him, although his true "Gotcha Day" anniversary is not until Friday. Reality is finally starting to settle in here...the first couple of weeks didn't even seem real. This reality has brought with it a new set of challenges. Honestly it has just hit me, that my life was super easy before- not that it's necessarily hard now, just different. Someone needs something of me pretty much all the time! Needless to say, I have had to deal with my own selfishness. Parenting is HARD! Really hard, & I am trying especially hard to spend lots of time with Joshua, Caleb & Emalee Grace individually. I have had concerns about Caleb & Emalee Grace adjusting to so much attention on Joshua (& not on them) so I want to be sure they are getting what they need too. My precious mother in law was here for a couple of nights at the first of the week & that was WONDERFUL! Emalee Grace & I got lots of time together, which she was needing(including a mani/pedi). She's not the baby anymore! Caleb is not quite as needy in the attention area. (She can't help being high maintenance, she gets it honest!)Each child is different & each one is precious & I am so thankful that God chose me to be the mommy to these 3 sweet kiddos! I have to remind myself of that when I'm feeling selfish...daydreaming of time by myself... sitting on a beach somewhere... reading a book with a fruity drink... with no one calling "mommy!". Meanwhile I tell myself God has not asked me to be crucified on a cross or anything even close...He just wants me to allow Him to work through me & make a difference in these 3 little lives...sure doesn't sound hard when I think about it that way! Thank GOD Scott & I don't have to do it by ourselves!

The frenzy for the photo

Well, we did it! We took on the huge task of family photos - not an easy feat! We did manage to have all 5 of us dressed & clean by 9:00am this morning. That in itself was not easy! Started outside with several shots, then inside for more. Our photographer was Diana Simpson & she was so patient as we battled the typical family drama to try to get a photo to look like we had it together! So far, I have only seen the pics I posted here. She will post more on her website soon, then I will have lots of decisions to make!!

July 4th Weekend Pics!

July 4th Weekend

Well, Joshua celebrated his first fourth of July & seemed to love it! We took him to Murfreesboro Friday night to spend the night with my sister, then out to my parents' house to meet my grandmother for the first time. They loved each other! I got some precious pics. We were all whipped when we got back to Signal Saturday night. After lots of sleep, we took him to the pool Sunday afternoon, then back for another nap. Woke him up for fireworks @ home Sunday night & he loved it! Fed him a little supper & back to bed. Scott was off Monday & he took the older kids on a 5 mile hike @ Savage Gulf. Joshua & I had a quiet day at home (which we both needed!). After his late nap, I got him up & took him out to the fireworks at the Golf Course here on Signal. He seemed to enjoy that too! He's so easy going- if you put him in the crib, he sleeps; if you get him up, he plays - couldn't ask for better!!!

Settling in to life

Joshua has had a great week! He is walking with his walker all over the house & looks like he will be giving it up soon! We took him out to eat Wed night for the first time. We just went to Ayala's on the mountain & sat outside. They had live music that night & he enjoyed it. He really loves music. He likes to sit at the piano in my lap & bang away while Scott plays. He also enjoys the radio turned up loud in the car! This week Caleb & Emalee Grace each had a friend with them in the car & they were singing & dancing to Switchfoot. Joshua loved it! He just smiled & clapped right along with them. He is definitely not hurting for stimulation!
We found out this week that he does not like grass! He will walk in it if you hold his hands, but he doesn't like sitting in it at all! He's so funny - he trys to hold both feet up & balance on his bottom because he doesn't want to touch the grass! He does love to be outside - he just prefers to be carried around!
He is still following Scott all over the house. That baby loves his daddy! He calls him "da da" frequently & can point to him when looking at a picture & asked "Where's daddy?" He is beginning to respond to the name "Joshua"; it's not consistent yet but he will turn his head when you call him now (which he wasn't doing last week). He seems to be adjusting very well. He's still napping a lot & eating well. This sweet lil guy is such a joy! I still can't believe he is really here & I can't believe this is my life! He is such a blessing!

MD follow up

I took Joshua to the pediatrician for follow up on Monday. She seems to think this was all a reaction to the MMR vaccine he received on June 18. Dr. Hatch says some kids run a fever 7-10 days following receiving the vaccine & this happened in that time period. He has not run fever since Mon am & never had any symptoms other than fever. Evidently the fever just hit & went up fast causing the seizure. All his blood tests are back & all are normal. Obviously, that was good to know. So- he is back to his sweet, happy, healthy self. He is still sleeping a lot. He's just so sweet & playful...such a lovable little guy!

Our first scare with Joshua

Ok- so we took Joshua to the pool yesterday afternoon, came home, bathed him, put him to bed approx 9pm. Around 10:30pm, I heard him whining & whimpering over the monitor. I told Scott, "He sounds like he needs me" & went to check on him. He was burning up with fever. 102.4 under his arm. I gave him Tylenol, put cool jammies on him & took him back downstairs with me. Within minutes, he was seizing in my arms. It was only for a few seconds & he came out of it quickly. Within seconds, he started seizing again & it would not stop!! It seemed like forever! I knew what it was but it scared me to death. Scott & I felt so helpless! I called 911 as he continued to seize. I called our friends, the Edwards, to ask Autumn to stay with the older kids while Scott & I went to the hospital with Joshua. He was still seizing after both phone calls. When the ambulance arrived, he had stopped seizing & was crying. I was dying to see his little eyes open I just wanted him to make eye contact with me after seeing his eyes rolled back into his head for so long. Scott & I think the seizure prob only lasted about 3 minutes, but who knows, maybe it was 2, maybe it was 5 - all I know is it seemed like an hour! I rode in the ambulance with Joshua & Scott followed in the car when Autumn got here. When we arrived @ TC Thompson, his ears, throat, & chest were clear - the mission was to find the cause of the fever. White blood cell count was normal, urinalysis was normal...must be viral. They sent us home around 5 am. I gave him more Tylenol & we slept a few hours (with him on my chest). At 10:15 this morning his fever was 102 & I gave him Motrin. He ate breakfast & sure doesn't act sick! Motrin has brought fever down & he is surprisingly playful this am after being up all night. We will see MD for follow up Mon am, but he is going to be fine. His fever just spiked too fast for his little body to handle. For the moment, my happy little boy is back! Praise!

First Week Home

WHEW! Where do I start?

It's been a while since I've posted so let me catch you up. On Thursday, Joshua started "waving bye-bye" & "giving five". He likes "low fives"; won't give a "high five" yet. Emalee Grace went to a roller skating birthday party Thursday afternoon so Joshua & I decided to tag along. It was our first outing other than to the MD & to get Caleb's haircut. He was good & seemed to enjoy it. He ate Cheerios & watched the girls skate. He was awake from 2pm - 8pm that afternoon which is the longest he has been awake @ a time yet! Needless to say, he slept well that night! On Friday, we took him to TC Thompson Children's Hospital to have blood drawn. He has to be tested for all kinds of diseases which he has already done & all were negative, but that was in Korea & he has to be tested in the US- just part of all international adoptions. He was brave & took it like a champ. Poor lil guy was wiped out Friday night! After skipping his afternoon nap, he went to bed at 6:15pm & slept until 9:00am!!! I was missing him Friday evening! I didn't realize when I put him down that I wouldn't see him again until morning. He stayed up this morning & is now taking an afternoon nap. So glad he's awake more during the day now! He's coming out of his shell & has even more personality!! He's such a fun little guy & we are soaking up every second with him!

Gotcha Day pics!

Joshua update

Father's Day was a great day. Lots of sweet time for Joshua & daddy. They started out the morning having a little breakfast on the back deck. We decided to wait another week before taking him to church. He's seen so many new faces over the last week!! Scott's parents came by for lunch & spent a little time with him, then just the 5 of us went to the pumpkin patch. He enjoyed the swings & sand box. He was exhausted when we got home & went to bed @ 7:15 after a nice warm bath.
On Monday morning, I actually got about an hour with him all by myself! I haven't had that yet. We played peek a boo & patty cake, read books, & snuggled. Only for an hour though, he had to go back down for a nap. He is still so tired. He slept 10am - 1pm, then rode out to Lookout Valley with me to meet my cousin Melissa. She lives in Illinois & was on her way to Atlanta. She brought me another car seat, a pac n play, umbrella stroller, lots of books & toys, Bjorn baby carrier, a grocery cart protector. Joshua & I hit the jackpot!! Thanks Melissa!! Of course when we got back home, he went down for another nap & slept 3:45 - 6:45. He ate mashed potatoes & green beans for dinner when he woke up. He loved them!! He made a huge mess & had so much fun eating them. Then, of course, bath & back to bed. He slept 9:30pm- 5:45am when he woke up & Scott gave him a bottle. They snuggled & talked a little while, then he went back to sleep until 8:30am. Not sure what all is store for today- so far he's had Cheerios & yogurt for breakfast, then, you guessed it, back to bed! (after a little play time first)

First few days home

We are settling in & doing very well. Wednesday night, our first night home, Joshua went to bed @ 7:15pm & slept until 9:00 am! He took a 2 hour nap in the am & a 3 hour nap in the pm. He is very playful & loves food. He likes finger foods. He loves Cheerios! He really enjoys his baths & had his first walk in the neighborhood last night (Friday night) which he seemed to enjoy. He went to the MD Friday am & was exhausted by last night. He slept 9pm to 9am & didn't wake up at all! He has slept through the night every night except Thurs when he was up from 2-3 am. We couldn't ask for better! He sleeps well, eats well, & is very playful! He responds to his name, Hyeon-jin so we are calling him Hyeon-jin & Joshua interchangably or Joshua Hyeon-jin until his learns Joshua. Caleb & Emalee Grace are very good with him (sometimes too good if you know what I mean). I have lots of help!! He is crawling all over the house & pulling up & cruising along the furniture. He will be walking soon! He's taking steps now with support. He is adjusting very well & we are loving every minute!!

Gotcha Day!

Joshua Hyeon-jin Rowe arrived in the Atlanta airport @ 12:40 am today. His flight was delayed by several hours but he made it in just fine. The 4 of us were able to get back to the gate to see him when he first got off the plane. We weren't sure if they would let us & assumed we would meet the escort @ baggage claim. When I asked, she hesitated & said they usually only let 1 person back but she would make an exception & let us all go. We were ecstatic!! I think she let us because it was midnight & there was no one else back there - Very special memories for the 4 of us as we stood @ the window & watched his plane pull into the gate. It was so quiet & still & just us. I can't even describe what it was like to see him. He is doing amazingly well. He is such a happy baby! It is 7:45 pm now & he just recently went down for the night. I can't imagine how exhausted he must be! We didn't make it back to the hotel until 3am & that was about 30 hours after his journey began. He was so happy in the airport & in the hotel. He was clapping his hands & drinking his bottle while we waited for the shuttle(@ the airport)to take us back to the hotel. When we got to the room, he crawled all over the place- fast!!! He was pulling up on the closet doors which were mirrored & he loved that! We all 5 finally got to bed around 4am & he slept until 10am.
This entire experience has been amazing! I have never felt as much true joy & love as I have over the past 24 hours. It is just unbelievable to me that I can love this child like I do considering I had never seen him before this morning. He is taking especially well to Scott - follows him all over the house! I have been praying the chorus to the song "Something Beautiful" by Need to Breathe for months now & God has answered that far more than I could have ever dreamed or imagined. The beauty of this experience is indescribable & I am sure all of my friends & family with me in Atlanta would agree. It is just impossible to put into words! The love from friends & family has been overwhelming! We came home to balloons on the mailbox & the front door, artwork by the Edwards children on the door, flowers on the table & dinner in the fridge. (Thanks Autumn!) Amazing, unbelievable experience that could only come from my loving Father. I have been surrounded by his hands, feet, & hearts & I am so thankful! Thanks so much for all the prayers! Believe me - they were felt & I feel confident that Joshua felt them too- he sure acted like it!

Atlanta Bound!

We are heading out to Atlanta shortly... We plan to spend the night there & will be home with him tomorrow. Keep us in your prayers & I will update with pics as soon as I get a chance! We are SO EXCITED! Can't believe his GOTCHA DAY is here!!!

So, what's his story?

Joshua was born to a 23 year old single woman who had no idea she was pregnant until her water broke & she went into labor @ 32 weeks. He has a diagnosis of birth asphyxia although we have received different reports concerning how long he went without oxygen. It couldn't have been long because he is developing so well. He was placed with Holt International Adoption Agency in Seoul, S Korea upon discharge from the hospital many weeks later. He has been living with a foster family since coming home from the hospital. He has an ear deformity that appears to be only cosmetic from the reports I have been given. He seems to be developing well. Hearing & vision are good. He will get plenty of work on that developmental delay living with 2 physical therapists & 2 active children! I am continually amazed at how much I can love this child that I have never even seen. Emalee Grace spent the afternoon swaddling her baby dolls in Joshua's room & reading to them in the rocking chair. So sweet! I am just riding the roller coaster of emotions until Gotcha Day. I have been on the highest highs & the lowest lows. That part is similar to pregnancy. Obviously hormones are not involved, but lots of emotions are! The devil raises his ugly head every now & then trying to convince me that this is not what we should be doing, but God always comforts me & confirms my decision. I have been amazed at how attentive God has been to the details in my life over the past few months. I have seen Him show up in so many ways that could only be Him. That is something Joshua has given me that he will probably never understand. Thank you all so much for your support & please continue to pray for our family. God Bless!

He's Coming Home!!!

We got the phone call today! Baby Joshua is coming home June 15! He will arrive @ the Atlanta airport. Hopefully these next couple of weeks will fly by. I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I want to see him! & hold him! It's super late now & I should be sleeping, but my eyes will not close! God is so good! This adventure is amazing & I have been SO blessed since we made this decision. I have never been so sure of anything with so many unknowns in all my life, yet a peace that I can not describe fills my soul. Please continue to pray for our family as we prepare for his arrival. Pray for Joshua. He has no idea what he's in for- I can't even imagine what this is going to be like for him. I am thankful that he is so young & I feel certain he will adjust well, though I know it won't be easy. I am so thankful Scott & I followed the Holy Spirit & pursued this decision. I thought my family was complete- just proves that God's plan is so much better than ours. Let me encourage you to listen to that little voice trying to speak to you- on my own I never would have gone through with this decision. I praise God daily for speaking through Scott & that Scott was wise enough to listen. We truly serve an amazing GOD! Praise!

Joshua's 1st Birthday

Well, Joshua's first birthday was today & unfortunately he was not with us to celebrate... Still no news... Still waiting for the phone to ring & trusting God's timing. It's kinda like being 40 weeks pregnant & the doctor won't schedule an induction. We are truly ready!! The kids' last day of school was today & they are super excited about the summer. They're getting anxious for him too. It could be any day!! (Or it could be another 1-2 months, but we are thinking optimistic & hoping for sooner rather than later)! Things are not good at all between North & South Korea right now & I want him out of there & in my arms!! Please continue to pray for his safe arrival. Thanks for your support & God Bless!

Painting pics

Getting Joshua's room ready

Several weeks ago, my sister in law, Susan, and her family came to Chattanooga to spend the weekend. With Susan (& the kids' help), we painted Joshua's room. More pics to come of the finished product!

Immigration Visa Approval for Joshua

We received approval of Joshua's immigration visa! This was approved on March 26th. This is the first of 2 notifications we get before he is here. The next will be the flight info- date & time that he will arrive in either Nashville or Atlanta. It doesn't get any more exciting than this!! Obviously we are waiting for the phone to ring! (so weird to me, I'm used to waiting for the water to break :)!!)

Update

Well, I wish I had more to report but I'll share what info I did get this week. Joshua is doing well. His March well baby check up reports that he is approx 18 lbs & sitting up some on his own. He is able to reach for objects & transfers them from hand to hand. He reponds to his name & plays peek-a-boo or pat-a-cake. He is beginning to imitate speech sounds & is eating solid food well. He is currently 10 months old functioning on approx an 8 month old level (which is normal due to his 2 month prematurity).
I had an amazing shower this past weekend hosted by Autumn Edwards, Shelby Jenkins, & Melissa White. These 3 ladies have been a wonderful support to me throughout this process along with several others. It's a little overwhelming to think how many people already love this sweet little boy that none of us have even met. The family support has been fabulous as well. My mom, sister, mother-in-law, & sister-in-law all came to Signal for the shower & are anxiously awaiting his arrival. God has given me abundant peace & joy as we wait. This child has already changed my life & he's not even here yet!
As far as the time line - looks like the middle to end of May 2010 is the earliest expected date of arrival. It could be as late as July 2010 but I am praying to have him by his first birthday on May 24, 2010. When I get the phone call with the date & flight number, it will only be 3-7 days away. We are currently getting the house in order & getting his room ready. It is becoming more real every day!! I still have to pinch myself sometimes to see if this is really happening. It truly feels like a dream. God has revealed himself in so many ways since making this decision & it is beautiful to live through! Thank you all so much for your prayers & please continue to pray for Joshua & his safe arrival.

New Photo!

We received a new pic of our sweet baby boy today. He is 7 months old in the above picture. He is definitely plumping up! He doesn't even look like a premie anymore! His Korean name is Hyeon-jin, which means "precious jade stone". His name will be Joshua Hyeon-jin Rowe when he gets to the states. I can't wait to hold him!