Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

Where have you been?!?!?!?

2009-11-10T19:03:00.005-07:00

So, about 765,313 days ago I decided to write a blog about our sweet boy Theo. All started well and people were enjoying our initial posts about our adventures in Seoul, followed by our first adventures in parenting. Then I was abducted by aliens, flown to the planet Mars, and forced to become an indentured servant for the royal Martian family, before I was allowed to return to Earth. Additionally, my house was carried off by a twister and where Atticus was doted upon by a sweet little girl and a world full of munchkins. Did I mention Andy ran away from home and joined Van Halen on tour?

Well, if those excuses don't work for you, they don't work for me either! I'll just blame life, work, and a broken computer. Now with a new laptop at hand, I will reintroduce the world to Theo, who once was a charming, darling, little person and now is..... TWO YEARS OLD. I kid, I kid... Theo's doing wonderfully. Talking up a storm, going to pre-school, and enjoying everything from Star Wars to Wheel of Fortune. He spent Halloween as Captain Hook to Andy's Peter Pan, while I spent the day as a lowly first mate. (I tried to be Mr. Smee, but my costume just didn't quite work!) Theo spent his first weekend away from Mom and Dad at Grandma's and Papa's in early October which would have worked out great if the poor little guy hadn't gotten sick. I guess that's what we as parents get for leaving our young child at home while we went off to an adult's only weekend at Disney World. In our defense, we did go to enjoy the Wine and Food Festival at Epcot, which would not have interested the crowned prince in the slightest.

Theo also got to meet his new friend baby Penny, who he absolutely adored and did a fantastic job holding and helping feed. He had many sweet kisses for our 5-week old friend, and I'm also proud to say I was not scared of her wobbly head in the slightest. His social calendar tends to be on the full side between hanging out with his fun babysitters, his family, and seeing friends both old and new. We had a great time at a pumpkin-carving party the night before Halloween, and he's learned to cruise "the hill" at our friend Missy's house with ease. Independence is the name of the game, and it's amazing how much he's doing on his own. Latest talents include counting, (to 16 on a good day) drawing smiley faces, coloring, and of course battling with light sabers.

In the next few weeks we are excited to have visits from both the Oklahoma Barretts, and Grammy from New York for the Thanksgiving holiday. I will be cooking Thanksgiving dinner(YIKES) and am hoping to bake my first pie to celebrate the occasion. If Theo survives the meal, I will be sure to post again soon!

September pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157622640137677/detail/

October pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/721576622765394148/detail/

The school year has begun!

2009-09-16T20:38:00.004-06:00

The last few weeks have been crazy as school has gotten back into full swing! Andy and I have been busy getting back in the groove, and Theo has been adjusting (beautifully) to a new routine that includes one morning of preschool a week.

August was a full month with lots of end-of-summer activities including a visit to Susu's house in Tennessee and countless playdate with friends. He's currently obsessed with his buddies Bobby and Emma... I sincerely hope their parents do not seek a restraining order in the near future due to his stalker-like tendencies. While we were at Susu's he had a great time swimming in the river and checking out the local sites. He definitely shared the love of the Apple Barn after his first visit!

We also had time for some short road trips to Bloomington for a day with Bella, Becki, and Mindy, into Chicago for the 2009 Korean Festival, and Melrose Park for an outing at Kiddieland. We also rode the train into the city with the Klotz family... I was mistaken to think that he would be thrilled with the train ride. After about 5 minutes, he and the other kiddos were bored with the trip. Regardless, we survived and had a great day.

August Flickr pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157622127404217/detail/

Potty? What Potty?

2009-08-04T14:26:00.005-06:00

Whew! The month of July was busy for us Barretts. Additionally, it was FINALLY warm enough to do many things outside! What a crazy summer it's been... I'm sure it will get hot and humid in about 3 weeks... right when all the kiddies go back to school. Balderdash to you Mother Nature!

The month started off with a fun 4th of July. No big party this year due to the house renovations, but fun none the less with a small group of friends. Theo made it to the fireworks this year (last year he was asleep almost two hours before they happened), and enjoyed them until he fell asleep about 5 minutes before the show ended. For those of you who know how close our house is to the fireworks display, you KNOW how unbelievable it is that he fell asleep. Regardless, he loved the fireworks that he did see, and now asks every night if we are going to see fireworks. Personally I think it's a stall tactic for going to bed...

Following the 4th, we got to do lots of fun things with fun people! The three of us met up with the Triebel family for a great day at Brookfield Zoo. Theo had a great time with Bobby and Emma, and we managed to find several quiet spots to see animals on an otherwise crowded day. We also had many park dates this summer with anyone and everyone who happened to call our house looking for something to do. Aside from walks down the street to our neighborhood park, we also went to Blackberry Farm with a bunch of the teachers and their kids from Mill Creek, Peck Farm with our new friend Tommy and his mom, the sprinkler park in Geneva with Storm School friends, and several other outings with new friends Katie and Gavin, as well as old friends Will and Alyvia. Believe it or not, we also managed to hit the pool! Theo might have been a fish in another life- he LOVES the water.

In other events, we helped Bumpa (great-grandpa) celebrate his 85th birthday with a fun lunch that included ALL of the cousins. There were a lot of little people running about during that party! We were also lucky to have Robyn and Zach visit from Omaha in the middle of the month. Theo had so much fun hanging out with them the night they stayed at our house. Theo also attended Camp Pride for the very first time. Camp Pride is a week-long cultural camp for Korean adoptees held every summer at a Korean church in Itasca. Theo is still too young to attend, but our good friends the Carlsons go every year, and asked us join on them on the final day of camp for the show in which all the campers share what they've learned for the week. It was SO fun, and I can't wait for the day when Theo can attend as a camper!

In all the excitments of his social calendar, Theo has some pretty big milestones occur as well. He used the potty for the first time! He used the potty for the second time! He used the potty for the.............. okay, the first two potty trips were obviously flukes at best, but he did in fact use it. I'm not sure if seeing the actual poops, or my and Andy's elated reactions did it, but as soon as he was done both times he burst into tears. I hope that isn't a sign of things to come because that would mean we are in for some REAL big trouble. Theo has also transitioned to a toddler bed, which means absolutely nothing to him apparently, as he still waits for someone to help get him in, and help get him out. I'm actually going to encourage that behavior for as long as possible! We also had a sad milestone to deal with, the passing of a pet. Bruce was a good fish, and he will be missed terribly. So terribly in fact, that Andy and I decided to buy Bruce 2.0 before Theo could realize that Bruce was no longer with us. This plan would have been fine, except for the fact that Bruce 2.0 died within days (okay, it was hours) of coming home. We decided that the universe was trying to tell us to be truthful with our two-year old. (And that there was something majorly wrong with our tank.) After breaking the news that Brucie was sick and had to go bye-bye, Theo immediately asked for a goldfish. Guess he wasn't as attached to Brucie as Andy and I thought!

July pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157621944696066/detail/

Kitchen renovations and "big butts"

2009-07-06T19:24:00.007-06:00

What can I say? Kitchen renovations distracted me from blogging for the last two months. WE ARE NOW FINISHED. All new hardwood for the entire first floor, new kitchen cabinets, new kitchen counters, new vanity and mirror in the bathroom, all new light fixures, and all new furniture in the family room and kitchen. Needless to say, our lives have been in shambles for weeks now! Believe it or not, I'm sick of eating out... (Kitchen pics will be posted on my Flickr account soon!)

Theo is now two years old and is as precocious as ever. His vocabulary is exploding, and he's talking in more and more complete sentences everyday. Recent favorites include, "Ready, set, go," and "Knock, knock!" He is also very into comparing big and little things, which was fine until the day he came up to me, pointed at my butt and said, "Big butt?" That was the day that I decided to eat only celery for the rest of the summer. (Don't worry, that thought was out of my head by dinner time.)

The official start of summer was mostly met with our home improvements and yucky weather. The poor boy hasn't been to the pool once this summer! Too hot, too cold, too rainy, too many walls needing to be painted in the kitchen! Fortunately, we've managed to squeeze in some great playdates with many of our favorite peeps. One of our favorite playdates were with Uncle Craig and Aunt Amy straight from Jakarta! It was so nice to get to hang out with them when they were home for some R&R. Also, we were happy to have Granny SuSu visit for a whole week in the beginning of June! With her visit we were able to celebrate a great second birthday at our favorite Korean restaurant. Theo got many great gifts... including his very first fish, which he promplty named Bruce. Yes, he's still obsessed with Finding Nemo, but we've managed to broaden his horizons to also include Wall.E, Toy Story, and Star Wars. Andy feels it's never to early to start Jedi training, especially since the kid already owns 4 lightsabers!

Here are some of our latest pics - May was a light month but we picked up the pace in June!

May: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157620698420647/detail/

June: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157620871007556/detail/

Happy spring?

2009-05-02T10:42:00.005-06:00

Where did April go? Is Spring here yet?!?!?! Why so many questions about the weather and the time of year??? BECAUSE I'M SICK AND TIRED OF COLD WEATHER AND RAIN! So is Theo, poor kid can't wait to be outside as much as possible!

As the Barretts try to survive the swine flu (and the extreme paranoia) that has infilitrated our sweet little suburb, we also are focused on the last few weeks of school, a certain young man's second birthday, and the pending remodel of our kitchen and family room. Andy and I continue are streak of pure crazy as we plan to rip out floors, cabinets, and countertops to start our summer. All I can say is that it will be a lot of work, but I CANNOT wait to destroy the ceramic tile that is the bane of my existence...

Since being the world's cutest ring bearer, Theo has had a visit from the Easter Bunny, become an expert tooth-brusher, and now enjoys "cooking" with his mommy. (Hold the laughter please, we all know I don't cook!) He's also becoming more social by the day... always asking to see friends like Bobby and Emma. I think we're in for a busy summer with lots of playdates around town!

Link to latest pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157617596991484/detail/

And a little video:

Gotcha day!

2009-04-06T19:38:00.013-06:00

One year ago today, Theo joined Andy and I forever! Andy said it best, "It feels like yesterday and a million years ago all at the same time."

It's hard to believe that exactly one year ago Mrs. Yang, Theo's foster mom, was placing him in my arms during the Giving and Receiving Ceremony at Eastern. Remembering that moment is still surreal, still bittersweet. We were receiving the best gift anyone could ever give us, while at the same time taking our sweet little boy from the only home he had ever known. Andy and I look forward to the day we can take Theo back to Korea, to meet with Mrs. Yang and the folks at Eastern once again, and show them what a wonderful little person he is turning into.

Here are some of our first moments together as a family:

Here are some pics from our first Gotcha Day celebration:

Happy Gotcha Day Theo!

Back on track

2009-03-29T21:41:00.005-06:00

After being a rotten blogger for the past two months, I have full intentions of mending my ways to keep Sir Theo's fans fully updated on his latest moments of cuteness... or, since he is almost two, moments of NOT so cute!

We have had a busy few months in the Barrett house. I have finished my last technology class for my master's, YEE-HAW. The last few weeks of the program were extremely busy, but now it's over and I have that much more time to spend with The Boy! Andy is also back in class down at U of I becoming more brillant as the weeks go by. Which brings me to Theo...

At last post we had just returned from our awesome Disney trip. Theo still likes to bust out his Mickey ears and wear them around the house. I can't imagine who encourages such behavior???? He also has a new bike and basketball hoop that we have actually been able to use with some of our warmer weather days. Current sporting education also includes football- he's quite the studly quarterback when we have a chance to play but I think his prospects of becoming a wide receiver are yet to be determined.

The biggest news of late is the fact that Theo got to be the world's cutest ring bearer in a wedding this month. The wedding required a weekend trip to Omaha, which now means Theo has logged more miles on an airplane in one year than Andy has his entire life! =) Regardless, we had a great time in Omaha for our friends' Zach and Robyn's wedding. While the nontraditional approach to the wedding spared Theo from walking down an actual aisle, he still stole the show with some wicked dance moves at the wedding reception. This will be well reflected in Robyn and Zach's wedding pictures... I'm not sure if the photographer was aware that it was their big day as he was so busy taking millions of pictures of Theo!

We're closing in on Theo's Gotcha Day which is April 6th. It's hard to believe that he's been home for one year! It's as amazing today as it was in those first few weeks home to see him do whatever he's doing. I continually try to be objective, but this kid's got some serious genius in his brain! His latest hobbies, other than football with Daddy, include counting to 10 (working on it), singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star(more like Tinkle, Tinkle), taking pictures with Mama's camera when she's not looking, and having light saber battles with anyone who's up to the challenge. Now, before you go thinking he's a perfect child, let's take a look at some of his other recent hobbies... "NO." Yep, saying no, ignoring no, wanting no, giving no, NO!!!! We've had an increase in whining as well, and why oh why must he grunt when he wants something?!?!? Even more special is the fact that Theo has now taken something special away from Andy and I... the oratory stylings of sailors and truck drivers. Yes, my darling son dropped his first f-bomb in the car after hearing Andy say it. We looked at each other in shock and dismay, not so much because Theo said it, but because we had not anticipated the loss of our freedom of speech so early in our career as parents. Aahh, the sacrifices we make...

Here's our latest pics! http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157616011242637/detail/

Delays and Dole Whips

2009-02-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess it's happened for real! I'm off my blogging schedule... ARGH. Okay, I'll try to get back into the once-a-month groove soon. In my defense, January was not all that exciting in the Barrett house!

Yes, the new year started out rather calmly. We had a few playdates, Theo experienced his first Super Bowl, Andy and I both headed back to class, and we dealt with frigid temperatures and way too much snow! How's that for a summary in brief?

More exciting than the whole month of January, was Theo's first trip to Disney World!!!!!!! I broke my own "not until they're old enough to remember it" rule and had the best time with my boy at The World! Even more exciting than that, was the fact that Andy, Theo, and I were joined with Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Laura, and Granny Sue. Yes, that's right... all seven of us vacationed together for 5 days! AND stayed in the same room! AND everyone loves each other still!!! Wahoo. The group stayed in a 2-bedroom villa at the Old Key West Resort at WDW. Needless to say, we were all very spoiled with the accommodations, as the villa was bigger than my and Andy's first house. Beyond our posh quarters, was great weather, low crowds, and an absolute wonderful time! Theo's favorites included Dumbo, the Seas with Nemo and Friends, and Playhouse Disney Live. He also braved Pirates of the Carribean, the Kilinmanjaro Safari, and meeting the Mouse in person. He was SO good on the trip, very few tears and no tantrums. Grandma Jane and Grandpa Jeff also enjoyed their first trip to WDW immensely. My personal favorite of the trip was the fact that we got Jane to ride roller coasters! I have never laughed so hard on a ride as when we took Jane on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad... it was well worth the cost of the whole trip for that one ride!

Upon our arrival home Theo decided it was time to get sick - croup and a sinus infection. The best part of that was the fact that he broke out in head-to-toe hives as a result of the sinus infection! It must be just so much fun to scare the pants off of mom and dad. In spite of the magic of Disney World, we are also starting to experience temper tantrums. OH JOY. As a matter of fact, he currently is throwing one as I type (I'm such a great mom aren't I?) because his Slinky won't do what he wants it to. There is definite foot-stomping, and we may see some flailing soon. Can you stay stubborn and strong-willed?

As always here are our latest pics:
January -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157613783453703/detail/
WDW -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157613780088315/detail/

Happy New Year!

2009-01-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

The last weeks of 2008 were full of chaos and fun! Besides all of the holiday happenings, Theo got to spend some QT with lots of important people. Granny Sue came for a weeklong visit from Tennessee. We had good friends come home from all over the country. Most importantly, Theo had his first encounter with Santa Claus! We were all prepared for screams and tears, but he handled it like a champ and even told Santa that he wanted a car for Christmas. Be sure to check out the newest pics on Flickr!

Christmas itself was a fun-filled whirlwind. We had a great time at both the Struven family and Bastian family Christmases. I have of course "trained" Theo to do the 12 Days of Christmas dance, but when the video camera came out, he wanted no part of it. Fortunately, we did manage to get a glimpse of "five gold rings..."

Presents included a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse playset, a "smash crash" car set, a Thomas the Tank Engine train set, and the appropriately overdone amount of Hot Wheels and Pixar car stuff. Beyond the toys, his Auntie Laura made a BEAUTIFUL Mickey Mouse cross-stitch for his room, and the Gilmores and Falvos bought him his very first share of Disney stock. With all of those fantastic gifts, how could he possibly pick a favorite?

Theo spent his first NYE home with Grandma and Grandpa so Andy and I could go out. It might be the last time I convince Andy to attend a NYE party as one of our friends broke his ankle as he toasted the new year! OUCH. Fortunately, Theo had a much more pleasant experience with Grandma and Grandpa, mostly watching videos and making a disaster of all of the toys he keeps at their house.

We also had another first... Theo's first illness! I know, it's crazy that he's been home since April and hasn't really been sick. Well this time, after three doctor's visits, he was diagnosed with an upper-respiratory infection and prescribed two antibotics. What a trooper, other than needing extra cuddle time and a few thousand boxes of Kleenex, he really didn't complain. 1st one down, ten million to go!

December's Flickr pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157611698600623/detail/

CARS!!!!!

2008-12-02T18:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is Theo's newest obsession... cars. Disney cars, cars in magazines, cars on TV, cars in parking lots, riding in cars, you name it, he loves it! It's really the first thing he's really into, so it's definitely fun. He's also obsessed with his My First Words book - so much so that Andy and I have taken to hiding it in the couch when WE JUST CAN'T LOOK AT IT ANYMORE!!!

November was a busy month, more so for the parents than the child. Andy is busy with his doctoral work, while I finished up one of my last master's classes. We survived our first round of parent/teacher conferences and enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with Andy's family. The house is decorated and ready for the holidays, and I'm pleased to report that Theo has taken a liking to all the Santas around the house. I'm not sure how he will fare when we hit the mall to actually see Santa, (I predict tears and lots of no, no, no) but so far he's all about the big, jolly guy.

In other Theo news, he now enjoys climbing up onto the family room table, (see video below) pulling the cats' tails, watching the Disney vacation planning video, using silverware, and eating everything in sight. Honestly, this is not the typical kid who only eats mac n' cheese, he will try anything and generally likes it. His bigger concerns are making sure he's eating the exact same things as any and all adults around him, and this includes condiments. Now, this may sound like a strange statement, but for those of you who know Andy well enough and are aware of his love affair with ketchup and barbeque sauce, it makes perfect sense.

We are looking forward to a wonderful holiday season and a fun-filled Christmas with the little man. As long as the cats and dog don't knock over the tree, we should be all set!

As usual, here's a link to our latest pics:

http://flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157610432774634/detail/

And here's a quick video of Theo:

Off topic - Mom and Dad's historic night out!

2008-11-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

Theo will one day be so excited that his parents took the time to attend what would become a night to remember - they attended Obama's victorious rally in Grant Park in November 4, 2008.

What an AMAZING event to be part of:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157608706039249/detail/

Upgrade: From the prince to the king

2008-11-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

Another busy month has come to a close! As you will see in our 100 Flickr pictures this month, Theo had many engagements on his social calendar. Favorites of the month included a visit to the pumpkin patch, watching the Bears (of course), visiting with friends from Eastern at a Lifelink event, Halloween, and most important, ADOPTION FINALIZATION DAY!

That's right, as of October 15, 2008, Theo is OFFICIALLY a Barrett. Legally he is now Theodore David Ha Bhin Barrett, and is eligible for a social security card, a birth certificate, and a passport. Our social worker visits have also ended, a strange realization as Cheryl left our house for the last time on October 13th. Especially considering we both expected to see her in 6 months, and 12 months after that, but we were mistaken! Oddly enough, the very important day of finalization was met with little fanfare. We did not need to make a court appearance, we did not to file any paperwork as our lawyers were doing everything for us, and we did not even know when it exactly happened until two days later. How weird is that? Our celebrations were minimal and fabulous as we had dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's complete with cheesy potatoes and Mickey balloons. There was no Dairy Queen involved, but did I mention the potatoes?

Another fun event of the month was an official visit from Eastern Social Welfare Society, Theo's Korean adoption agency, to Lifelink on October 18th. It was great fun to see foster mothers and social workers from Seoul. It was also so much fun to meet so many other Korean adoptive families and see a variety of Korean culture demonstrations. We plan on attending this event annually until Theo is in middle school and way-to-cool to hang out with us...

Of course the most fun we had this month (other than the NKOTB concert I attended, Hang Tough everyone) involved our festivities leading up to and including Halloween. On one of the most gorgeous October Saturdays in years, Theo, Andy, and I headed to Kuiper's Farm to find a pumpkin, pet some goats, and hang out in a corn maze. (It ended up being a bittersweet day - later that night the Cubs blew the final game in the first round of the playoffs.) We had such an AMAZING time! Our personal favorite was the dried corn sandbox. We sat in that thing for a good half hour, with Andy and I having as much fun as Theo. Feeding the goats was also fun, although Andy was extremely nervous when the goats climbed up on my lap (and on Theo) to get some treats. We left the farm with a just-my-size pumpkin for Theo, and some great family pictures. Later in the month, after weeks of debate, we settled on a Halloween costume for Theo, which ended up being Andy's Halloween costume as well. What could be more fitting for a young boy that's already the center of so many people's universes than to be The King? That's right, Theo was Elvis as was Andy. They were so cute in fact that they made the local edition of the Daily Herald. Theo spent the day with Grandma, touring Mill Creek and Storm Elementary Schools. He had so much fun with my 4th graders and even managed to win some prizes at our party. The day concluded with trick-or-treat visits to family in Batavia, and finally pizza for dinner. It was a very busy day, but what a day it was!

Please check out our latest pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157608550046469/detail/

The cutest pumpkin in the patch!

2008-10-07T20:40:00.000-06:00

Well, my goals of once-a-month blog updating faltered in September! So here I sit, on October 7th, a full week behind schedule. I guess this blog is now in tune with the rest of my life, BEHIND schedule! (Yes, I'm always late...)

Theo is of course doing marvelously well. Currently he is sporting nine teeth, a new haircut, and somewhere in the ballpark of 7-10 words. Toddle speak can be a bit confusing, but as he connects meaning to more and more objects and actions, it's amazing to watch his language development. We know, we know, he is genius! (Did you ever doubt?)

The Barrett family has added another level of "new normal" to our lives. I started back mid-September with my graduate classes (only 3 to go!) and Andy began his doctorate program at University of Illinois. So, seeing as we weren't quite busy enough, I'm gone every Monday night and Andy is gone two weekends a month as we educate ourselves on being better educators. Fortunately, the schedule has thus far worked out and each of us end up getting great quality time with Theo. Now if someone could just tell me how to keep the house clean, the laundry folded, and the meals prepared I'd be all set! And to think, we haven't even hit first-quarter report cards and parent/teacher conferences yet! =)

Overall, we are doing amazingly well. Theo's adoption will be OFFICIAL on October 15th. We do not need to make a court appearance this time around, which stikes me as ironic as the adoption finalization is one of the most important moments in the lives of adoptive families. No celebrations are scheduled, but I'm sure we will end up at Dairy Queen at some point. We are also closing in on our final post-placement visits with our social worker, but we will stay connected with Lifelink for years to come. Andy and I sincerely hope that they like us enough to one day invite us to be speakers to their Parent Academy. Here's hoping!

As always here's a link to the newest Theo pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157607839867103/detail/

Stay tuned for more fall happenings!

Koreans for Obama

2008-08-31T15:42:00.000-06:00

August has proven to be a CRAZY BUSY month! Theo is now in daycare full time as I returned back to work officially on August 18th. If someone can explain this working mom thing, I'm all ears! Seriously, who is going to cook dinner for the three of us, because it's certainly proving not to be me! =)

Theo had a great last few weeks of summer that were filled with firsts. This included attending his first Korean Fest in Chicago, enjoying his first Olympics (he was very nice and left mommy alone during gymnastics coverage), and experiencing his first Democratic National Convention. He was a huge fan of the Olympic diving - Andy believes it's because the sport was dominated by Asian people this year, I think it's because he's a talented athlete in the making. I do believe I am correct in this argument? Theo is also super excited about Obama and the upcoming presidential election - what a great year to become an American! Lucky kid. =)

Other than that, there's not too much going on as we try to get adjusted to our "new normal." Theo is growing up so fast and doing wonderful new things everyday. His words now include mama, dada, nana (banana), sit, up (bup), night night, and this (A weird one, I know). He's also learned how to walk backwards (with style I might add) and has become a very good helper when we clean the house (He can use a lint roller like nobody's business).

Here's our latest pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157607042934183/detail/

Only two weeks left?!??! =(

2008-07-31T19:56:00.000-06:00

Yes, it's about to happen.... I'm going back to work! 4 months home with Theo has left me spoiled, so I guess I'd better head back to 4th grade and get reacquainted with life in the real world...

Theo is still cute as ever - keep voting for him on-line for the Cutest Kid in Kane County contest! (The link is in our previous post) He's a completely steady walker (well, you know, except when the carpet trips him and stuff) and is totally enjoying summertime activities. He LOVES playing in the water. Doesn't matter how much or where it is, if it's there he's splashing in it! He also enjoyed his first trip to Brookfield Zoo complete with his very first Mold-a-Rama. His favorite thing at the zoo? Sting Ray Bay! Why? Because he could splash in the water! One summertime activity he did miss was the 4th of July fireworks. Andy and I are still baffled by this as the fireworks are literally shot off right next to our house. Believe it or not, Theo slept right through the fireworks! We're still scratching our heads over that one...

In other news we had our FINAL baby shower for Theo. That would make 10, count em' 10, baby showers for the Crown Prince of Batavia. What can I say? He's just so loved! We also had our family court date on July 11th in downtown Chicago to get our interim order from the courts. What is an interim order? Well as far as I can tell, it's the official document to get the ball rolling on finalizing Theo's adoption. Now that the interim order has been filed, we just sit back and wait for October 15th to come along. That will be Theo's adoption finalization day!

As always I will leave off with a link to Theo's newest pictures!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157606476197633/detail/

Theo is the cutest!

2008-07-01T11:32:00.001-06:00

Here is the info about Theo being part of the Cutest Kid in Kane County contest:

www.kcchronicle.com/cutestkid Theo is #60

If the voting link is not working, here it is: http://www.kcchronicle.com/cutestkid/vote/

"Give me goldfish!"

2008-06-29T15:38:00.000-06:00

Theo has taken to goldfish crackers like nobody's business! Andy and I now have to refer to those fun orange crackers as "koi." I'm sure he'll learn soon enough that koi means goldfish so we are prepared to move onto other fish of reference such as trout, blue gill, and carp. What does this really all mean? It means Andy and I have made our first venture into code talking in front of our kid. Ah, the bridges we cross...

The last few weeks have been busy! Theo attended his first street festivals, Swedish Days in Geneva (where he ate lunch with the mayor ... seriously!) and the Custer Street Arts Festival in Evanston. Rest assured there were corn dogs involved in both outings. He also got to meet his great grandma, Grammy, for the first time who was in for a visit from New York. She was in town for a long weekend and we had all kinds of fun together. Her visit included a trip to the Morton Arboretum where Theo encountered big bugs (What a neat exhibit!) and had a blast wading around the frog pond.

Theo has also had a chance to spend time with many new friends! He finally met his destined-to-be good friends Bobby and Emma, with whom he shared his first swimming experience - he loved it! He and Bobby are only 5 days apart in age so we are positive they will have oodles of fun together as they grow up. Theo and I also spent an afternoon with several Storm staff families where he again had way too much fun swimming. Even though he's only a year old, he's already quite the social butterfly!

Much to Andy's chagrin, Theo is also a contestant in a contest where he is sure to be the winner - he has been entered in the "Cutest Kid in Kane County" contest sponsored by the Kane County Chronicle. I promise I will not sign him up with a talent or modeling agency, but this fun little contest was too much to pass up! So please vote for him at

www.kcchronicle.com/cutestkid Theo is #60

The site is messed up.... here is the link to where you vote: http://www.kcchronicle.com/cutestkid/vote/

As always I will leave you with some images of Theo. Below is a link my Flickr account and a short video of our little man!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157605889162065/detail/

Vonage phone service commercials?

2008-06-10T15:54:00.000-06:00

So lately, Theo has really taken a liking to phone company commercials, especially ones from Vonage. Why? Who knows, maybe he thinks that Vonage offers great cash savings for phone users or maybe he just likes the pretty colors...

Theo officially celebrated his first birthday with a small family party on May 31st. We celebrated with the traditional Korean ceremony known as the Dol (sometimes written Tol). Several objects were placed in front of Theo, including a book, a pen, a miniature guitar, a paintbrush, a ball, a spool of thread, a knife, and money. Whatever objects he picked up indicated what his passions in life will be. The only object he actually picked up was the pen, meaning that he will be a writer. He also touched the paintbrush (artist), the guitar (musician), and the spool of thread (which promises a long life). Theo wore traditional Korean clothing during the ceremony; an outfit called a hanbok. His was HUGE on him, and he did not look too comfortable, so he only had it on for 15 minutes or less. After the ceremony we all sat down to a traditional Korean meal....NO, I did not cook! We ordered food from a wonderful Korean supermarket in Naperville and boy was it tasty! Following dinner Theo opened his gifts and, of course, was more fascinated by the wrapping paper than the actual gifts. Overall it was a great first birthday!

In other Theo news, he finally had his first haircut (he looks too grown-up now!), is walking up a storm, and is still the cutest thing ever. He has developed a liking for all things Mickey Mouse - a favorite activity of his is finding all the Mickeys in my Disney travel books. It's so nice to see my brainwashing working so well....

I added pictures of all the above mentioned things on my Flickr account - I hope you enjoy!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157605546515733/detail/

1 year old!

2008-05-25T19:52:00.000-06:00

A long time since our last post and so much has been going on! Theo turned one on May 19th, but we will be celebrating on May 31st when Granny Sue is in town. It will be a small affair, seeing as our first month home was filled with enough celebrations to last a lifetime!

Theo is doing very well. He is taking more and more steps each day and is officially becoming a walker! His weight is up to 19 pounds 2 ounces, which we are thrilled about since our only concern in our first weeks home was that he was not gaining weight. He is able to wave hello and goodbye, give high fives, and is currently working on blowing kisses. Of course he has several other adorable "tricks," which include an "Oh no!" face and an "I don't know!" shoulder shrug. He is trying lots of new foods and current favorites include oatmeal with bananas, pasta, and broccoli. (And of course DQ softserve!)

Check out some of his most recent pictures at our Flickr account!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157605235208503/detail/

Playdates, Dairy Queen, and Other Favorite Things

2008-04-24T14:16:00.000-06:00

Hello! We've been home now for enough time that I've lost track of the days! Theo is still doing wonderfully - he's sleeping through the night and eating everything we give him. This includes ice cream from our first trip to the DQ... you all know how important the DQ is to Andy!

We've had loads of playdates including time with Theo's foster brother from Korea. It is so much fun to see the two of them together. Yesterday well went to a small zoo by our house and had a great time hanging out! Theo and I also headed to my classroom to meet my kids who were SOOOOO excited to see Theo live and in person. He was a bit overwhelmed, but if you had twenty 10 year olds bouncing with joy at the sight of you, you would be too! =) It was so great to see my class who made Theo a fantastic Mickey Mouse blanket and welcomed me back with big smiles and lots of hugs! We will go back to school and visit them often for the remainder of the school year.

Theo is already super close to walking - no down time in this house! He's standing on his own for 15-20 seconds at a time, and cruises around the furniture with amazing speed. He's also starting to mimic English sounds that Andy and I make, the first being the word doggie. As of late his newest trick is waving bye-bye. I'm amazed at how well our little boy is doing and learning everyday!

Seoul in pictures

2008-04-16T20:17:00.000-06:00

Hello! Quick update: Theo is doing wonderfully! He's eating, sleeping, and being social with anyone and everyone who stops by. =) We couldn't have asked for a better transition for him. Tomorrow we're actually having a playdate with his foster brother in Wheaton - I can't wait!

Below is a link to my Flickr account for anyone who wants to see our entire trip - there are MANY pictures so I hope you enjoy!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68847421@N00/sets/72157604580635723/detail/

Pictures

2008-04-13T19:44:00.001-06:00

Well, we've been home for a week and real life starts back up tomorrow! After having a wonderful two weeks together, Andy heads back to principal duties tomorrow morning. I know his MCES family will be happy to have him back, but it's been so nice having both of us home!

My last two posts have been picture-free, so I will take time now to post a few pictures from the rest of our trip. I'm not sure why the pics aren't lining up... I'll try to fix it later!

Images of Seoul:

First night with Theo!

Going home...

We're home - anyone for laundry?

2008-04-08T19:27:00.000-06:00

Theo is home... need I say more???? =) We finished up our week in Seoul wth some final shopping and sightseeing before picking up Theo from Eastern Sunday afternoon. The experience of the giving and receiving ceremony was both joyful and heartbreaking. There are no words to describe what adoptive parents go through when a foster mother places a child in their arms. We are eternally grateful to our foster mother and will think of her often as Theo continues to grow.

Andy and I returned to our hotel at about 4:00 with Theo. We promptly sat down with some toys and looked at each other and said,"What on earth do we do now???" So we decided what all first-time parents must do - we took Theo down to the market to get dinner. Oh, and the market???? Imagine the largest crowd you have EVER seen at a grocery store, multiple it by three, and then you will know what Andy and I encountered that night at the market. Regardless of the crowds (and the noise), Theo hung out happily in a carrier until he fell asleep. What's that you say???? HE FELL ASLEEP???? Shockingly enough, he dozed for about 40 minutes in the carrier. When we got back up to the room he woke up and went right back to playing happily. At that point Andy and I were like, "How can this kid be so mellow? Well, he must be waiting until bedtime to freak out." Bedtime came and went - he slept the ENTIRE night. Seriously!!!!! The only problem with that was the fact that Andy and I couldn't sleep.! =)

Our flight home was amazing as well - although Theo only slept for about 2 hours (out of 13, yikes!) he only cried for a total of about 15 minutes. Yes, you read that correctly. This poor child who had just had his world turned upside down cried a total of 15 minutes in the first 36 hours he was with us. (Yes, counting blessings) He also was the most popular person on the plane! More than once he was scooped up by a flight attendant or a passenger giving Andy and I a few brief moments of calm. Overall, the flight went quickly and was the best we could have hoped for. I didn't even need to pass out the earplugs I had brought along for other passengers because he did not scream once!

Our first day home was fantastic - thanks to everone who stopped by, called, and e-mailed us to welcome us home. It was so nice to see so many familiar faces after a week of strangers and Theo handled meeting people like a champ! He also did very well his first night sleeping in his crib. We did not end up setting up an air mattress in his room like we had intended and I don't think there is going to be a need. He has taken 3 naps in his room, plus one night of sleeping, and seems to sleep well. Going to sleep is a little more difficult and seems to be his grieving time - tonight at about 8:00 (second night at home) we finally experienced a breakdown with some screaming, but it only lasted about 15 minutes. It felt a lot longer but we know plenty of babies that scream for hours on end their first few weeks home, so we'll take 15 minutes of screaming any day.

We are now trying to set up routines and get our body clocks reset. I managed to get some laundry done today, and organized all of our gifts that we brought home. Wahoo! Of course we've had a lot of time with our family who have been bringing us food and necessities but they all have to go back to work tomorrow! I was kind of hoping that no one ever had to go back to work but alas that thought shall remain a dream. ;)

My next project (other than that whole parenting thing) is to organize our pictures (all 245 of them) and videos of our trip. Stay tuned for more Theo updates!

Why are there no trash cans?

2008-04-04T04:57:00.001-06:00

Sorry folks, today's post is Theo-free. =( Andy and I just got back to the hotel after a LONG day of sightseeing. And as you can tell from the title of this entry, we had a heck of a time trying to throw garbage away! I'm serious - this country is super clean and apparently has no need for public trash bins. Moving on...

We left the hotel at about 10:00 this morning with a full agenda for the day. Before we made it to the subway station, we ran into one of the couples that we had met at lunch the day before at Eastern. And would you believe that they are a Lifelink family? Would you believe that they are from Illinois? WOULD YOU BELIEVE THAT THEIR SON'S NAME IS THEO?!?!?!? Well you should, because all of these facts are true! Needless to say, we were all very excited that we shared they same great taste when selecting names for our children. We exchanged e-mails and everyone went on their merry way.

First up today was the Gyeongbokgung Palace. As we walked "into" the palace, we were met with a tour guide that was about to start an English-speaking tour group at that very minute! What great timing. While our group walked and talked, Andy and I found out that many of the people in our tour group were all journalists from various parts of the US who were participating in an exchange-type program with Korean journalists. We filled them all in as to why we were in Seoul and they, being the journalists that they are, wanted every single detail! So much so that one gentleman gave us his card and asked us to e-mail him with an update after we were home with Theo. How cool is that?

After our tour, we meandered to the back entrance of the palace to see the Blue House - the Korean version of the White House. (And yes Monmouth people, I was quite excited to see a "Blue House" in Seoul) We took some pics, walked back through the palace, hopped on the subway, and stopped off at Insadong for some more shopping.

NEXT, we hopped back on the subway (we are total pros at this point), and went to the Korean War Museum and Memorial. It was an interesting visit - Andy and I were both very impressed with the building itself but not so much with the exhibits inside. We left the museum and headed back to Naedaemun market (where we went yesterday) this time with hopes of seeing the famous South Gate. Unfortunately, due to an incident of arson, the gate is under some serious rehab. It was a sad sight to see - huge walls are up all around the gate and the walls are covered with notes and signatures from thousands of people. Speaking of thousands of people, Andy and I managed to become spectators of a "small" demonstration today in downtown Seoul. We have no idea what these people were protesting against, but we did see the riot police get dispatched. Oy!

Our last stop of the day was Seoul Tower. This is a massive structure with an observation deck that lets you see all of Seoul. The bus ride to Seoul Tower was NOT fun, but the view was amazing. One strange thing that we saw at the tower, and never found out any information about, was the fact that barricades at the observation deck were covered in hundreds and hundreds of padlocks. All of the locks were signed with dates and names and they were all over! We never did find out why they are all there, but it was an unusual sight to see.

Well that was our day in a nutshell. Tomorrow we are heading to the Korean Folk Village with a bunch of other families - should be fun! Andy and I will post some last pics of Seoul Sunday after we pick up Theo from the agency. Thanks to everyone for your fun comments on the blog - Andy and I have thoroughly enjoyed them!

Dr. Kim knows Andy

2008-04-03T05:20:00.000-06:00

Today we started things off at Eastern - it was a busy morning! First we met with Dr. Kim.... then we met with Dr. Kim. Confused? FIRST we met with "old" Dr. Kim. He started Eastern 36 years ago, is 94 years old, and still oversees the adoption of every child that comes through Eastern. Under his guidance more than 45,000 children have been adopted. You read it correctly - 45,000! It was a great honor to meet with him and I (of course) did not think to ask him for picture since it was a bit overwhelming to see him in person. There were about 8 of us in the meeting with Dr. Kim, all couples adopting babies, but one remarkable thing happened to Andy during the meeting. We all sat down to chat with Dr. Kim, and he began asking (more like checking to see if he was putting the right names with faces) who each of us were. After he asked Andy his name he said, "You are principal of the school, yes?" WHOA, DR. KIM KNOWS WHO ANDY IS?!!?!?!? We were astounded! Of all the thousands of couples that come through his door, he remembered something about Andy!

After meeting with "old" Dr. Kim, we met with "young" Dr. Kim. She is currently the director of Eastern. She chatted with us about the history of Korea, how the adoption program came to be, and how important all of us were in the lives of "their children." Needless to say, between this meeting and the meeting with the other Dr. Kim, it was a great start to our day.

Prior to the meeting with "old" Dr. Kim, we had the opportunity to meet some very important people. Theo's foster family has had another little boy living with them for several months. Obviously, Theo and this other boy have had a close relationship as foster brothers. His family is also in Seoul this week to pick him up and it turns out they are from Wheaton! It was great to meet them and we plan on getting the boys together once we are all home. We had hoped that we would find out a little about Theo's foster brother's family, but we never imagined that we would be able to continue their relationship at home in the states.

Andy and I had about 1 hour to spend with Theo at Eastern today. We had a great time playing! In fact, he's taking to us so well, that we will be going Sunday afternoon to pick him up for good! We were expecting to pick him up Monday morning on the way to the airport, but everyone feels that since he is doing so well, the quicker he's with us forever the better! Andy and I are thrilled (and of course nervous - you know me!) that he will get to spend time with us before the "long and scary" plane ride. So far he seems like such a happy and content baby - we're bracing ourselves for hour #10 on the plane when we're sure he's going to start screaming like crazy!

Our first family picture - with the famous red chair!

After our Theo meeting with had the opportunity to have lunch with other families at Eastern. There were SO many of us that that dining room was completely full. All of the families that I have been e-mailing back and forth with were at lunch so it was nice to meet everyone in person. We are all planning to visit the Korean Folk Village on Saturday together. We were going to try to go to the DMZ - but all the tours are booked solid. Had we been able to book on Monday there were seats available, but our availability for the week was determined by Theo!

After our morning at Eastern, we spent the day at Naedaemun Market and Itaewon. To describe Naedaemun would be nearly impossible - y'all will have to wait for the video! Itaewon was not what we expected - although we did manage to get some great deals on ties for Andy, and a "Prada" purse for me! Tomorrow we plan to visit the Korean War Memorial, a palace or two, Seoul Tower, and at least one more shopping district. Before I finish up, I will leave you with one more Theo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCnJpThDCbM

Meeting day

2008-04-02T04:43:00.001-06:00

Andy and I both woke up a little afte 5 this morning with no ability to go back to sleep. Between jet lag and the excitment of meeting Theo, there was little to do but get up, shower, wrap presents, and WAIT! We've become very good at that over the last few months...

Finally at 11:30 we left our room. Remembering how to get to the subway was easy, but figuring out exactly HOW to use the subway was more of a challenge. After a few attempts at a handful of machines, we managed to secure subway tickets to get us to Eastern Social Welfare Society where our meeting with Theo was to be held. You may remember that our meeting was not until 1:30, so YES, we left ridiculously early. We walked into Eastern a little before 1:00, were shown to a small waiting room, and were told to (What else?) WAIT.

As the minutes crawled by, Andy and I sat anxiously awaiting Theo's arrival with his foster mom. A little after 1:30 she and our social worker came into our waiting room with Theo! It was a wonderful meeting. Our foster mom was fantastic, and Theo did not seem to be scared at all! We went over some of his paperwork, exchanged presents, and then Andy and I had Theo all to ourselves for about half an hour. It was completely surreal - we are still in awe and shock that this cute little guy will be ours forever in just a few days! And now I will share what you've all been waiting for - a glimpse of our new son:

See our video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnFnhs2Dv1Y

After our meeting, we headed to Insadong for some shopping. After visiting some shops and munching on some mondu, we left the shopping district and headed to Jogyesa Buddhist Temple. Now back at the hotel we are planning our day tomorrow which includes another Theo visit, a meeting with Dr. Kim, and lunch with the staff from Eastern. Stay tuned!

I decided to add a couple of pictures from the rest of our day:

We made it

2008-04-01T05:10:00.000-06:00

After a 14 hour flight, we made it to Seoul! We both survived the trip just fine - Andy was a real trooper. So far our "tour" of Seoul has led us only to the shopping complex attached to our hotel. We managed to find the subway we will be using, and located a variety of restaurants including Mickey D's, BK, Pizza Hut, Baskin Robbins, Outback, and KFC. We also found a Build-A-Bear and the Korean version of Claire's Boutique.

We were going to be brave and avoid the forementioned restaurants and order from a Korean place, but the ordering situation was a bit too intimidating - all the food was on display in a central location, and after you ordered you went and picked it up from the correct counter. Oy! So good ol' BK won out - we will do our best to eat Korean tomorrow. (Craig, please don't make fun of Andy for ordering BK while in Korea!)

Speaking of tomorrow, we will be meeting Theo officially at 1:30pm. Originally our meeting was scheduled for 10am, but I think that there are so many families meeting their children tomorrow that some of us got bumped until the afternoon.

I will post pics and videos as soon as I can tomorrow evening!

TRAVEL CALL!!!!!!!!

2008-03-28T11:42:00.001-06:00

Andy and I got our travel call about 20 minutes ago! Currently working on travel plans...

OKAY!
Departing Chicago on Monday, March 31st at 1:00 pm. Arriving in Seoul on Tuesday at 4:50pm

Departing Seoul on Monday, April 7th at noon. Arriving in Chicago on Monday at 10:40am WITH THEO!!!!!!

Visa!

2008-03-25T07:32:00.000-06:00

Theo's Visa Interview has been scheduled for March 26th! Up next? TRAVEL CALL!

New pic from Seoul!

2008-03-19T09:58:00.001-06:00

Hello everyone! Andy and I got a new picture of Theo in the mail yesterday. Glad to still see those big cheeks!

2008-03-17T09:58:00.000-06:00

Just got off the phone with D.C. and we now have P3! Basically this means our embassy has been in contact with our agency in Korea saying we're good to go. We only have one step left, the Visa Interview, before we get THE call! Everyone cross their fingers for a quick Visa Interview!

Good news!

2008-03-11T15:46:00.000-06:00

I just got off the phone with the National Visa Center and our paperwork is back on track! They logged it into their system on March 7, and it was sent to the embassy in Seoul today, March 11th.

It won't be long now!

Am I really blogging?

2008-03-09T21:34:00.001-06:00

So after battling Andy for weeks that I absolutely would not blog, I decided about 37 seconds ago that it might be a good idea. Over the last few weeks I have found several blogs about adoption, many that are very insightful as Andy and I prepare to head to Korea to get Theo. SO, that means Andy was right and I was wrong. THERE. I TYPED IT FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE.

At any rate, this will be the place that we will post updates during our time in Korea. It is my mission to post informaton, pics, and videos as time allows when we are in Seoul. And if I end up in Seoul as too much of an emotional basketcase I will make Andy do the blogging! (The horror! The horror!)

As of right now we are waiting for our travel call - something we should have already received but due to lost paperwork has been delayed. Hopefully, that call will come SOON!