Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
"Ready to travel"
We have some HOPEFUL news...we got a medical fax from Holt this morning...Eli had a brain Cat Scan and all was deemed "NORMAL" YEAH! and....Holt sent us this E Mail from the Holt-Korea branch this afternoon:
"Gim Geon-wu/Morgan/WV As you know the CT result came out normal. Please advise if the family would want to accept him as he is. He is ready for travel. Thank you."
Of course, our immediate reply was..."YES, we accept him!!!!" followed by, "if he is ready to travel, send him!!!"
We are HOPEFUL....but also know that next week is the Asian New Year and Korea basically shuts down from Wednesday until the following Monday :(
But, let me repeat...."He is ready to travel." :)
"Gim Geon-wu/Morgan/WV As you know the CT result came out normal. Please advise if the family would want to accept him as he is. He is ready for travel. Thank you."
Of course, our immediate reply was..."YES, we accept him!!!!" followed by, "if he is ready to travel, send him!!!"
We are HOPEFUL....but also know that next week is the Asian New Year and Korea basically shuts down from Wednesday until the following Monday :(
But, let me repeat...."He is ready to travel." :)
Saturday, January 26, 2008
We're going crazy, bonkers, insane!!!
It is not a lie...we are going nuts. We haven't heard a word about Eli since hearing that his "packet 3" was sent to Korea on January 7th. That was just short of 3 weeks ago. Our agency has nothing to tell us, we have no information- nothing- zip-zilch-nadda.
Each day ticks by very slow waiting for a call. We know that as Friday inches by the weekend is ahead- we will definatiley NOT get a call on a weekend. That never happens. So, then it's the wait for Monday and again, the wait for the phone to ring.
It seems like everyone around us is on pins and needles also waiting..."Have you heard anything?", "Got any news?", "When is he coming?"...oh how I wish I could answer your questions....I wish I had something else to write, but I guess this is one of the low points of the process- they said this final stretch is the hardest part. I couldn't agree more.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Nesting!!!
We are happily nesting...I've been doing it for a while now, but Randy has joined me in full force. Boy, do I love that man!!! Yesterday he hung shelves in our laundry room for extra storage! Afterwards he said, "This is great. We need more shelves in here and we should put some up in the garage too!" I almost did a happy dance :) Actually, as I write this, he is in the laundry room putting up the "great big shelf."So, he senses that Eli is coming home soon too...
We both feel it. We are both excited! We are both anxious. We are both nervous. We are both overly emotional. We are both working ourselves silly. It makes the wait easier somehow, or just keeps us busy...Eli is coming home soon...I just know it!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Hallelujah!!!
Not only did our school throw an awesome shower for us (see picture), but they brought us good luck too! After waiting 3 weeks for the National Visa Center to issue a Visa and get us in the system...we found out when we got home from the shower that Eli's (Yes, his name is Eli Nathaniel Morgan :) Visa was sent to Korea on December 28th!!!!I called the DC Embassy first thing this morning and found out that his Packet 3 (final legal documents) were sent to the Korean agency on Monday!!! (1/7)
Next up:
1. The Korean agency sends Packet 3 back to the Korean Embassy
2. Eli's Visa Interview is scheduled & done
3. Travel Call happens!!!!
Hallelujah!!!! Can I get an Amen?!?!?!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Dad's Perspective on the New Year!
I can hear you all the way on this end of the internet line. "He hasn't written since the blog was started! I didn't even know he was still around?" Mara has been doing such a wonderful job expressing our emotions as we wait for Eli and explaining the process that I thought I would focus on other things. Important things like buying "Boy Toys" for Eli. :) We each have our own kind of therapy while we wait... Mara writes and I purchase things. Nothing wrong with a little "retail therapy" for my boy. (Although to be completely honest...I never pay retail.)
I am thrilled that Eli's arrival is coming so soon. The stereotype is that most men want to postpone the responsibilities of being a father until they are at least in their 60's. Or in Tony Randall's case, his 70's. But I feel my whole life has been preparation for fatherhood and husbandry. I love Mara so much and can't wait to expand our family with this precious little boy.
Mara and I had a rare opportunity to celebrate our wedding anniversary this year at "The Greenbrier" thanks to my very generous in-laws. (I have always hated the term "in-laws". Bob and Mikkey are more like my second parents and good friends.) Mara and I had four wonderful days of pampering with much time to relax and reflect about our seven years of marriage together and what the future holds for us. If we were at home, we would have instead filled our time with endless preparations. (i.e. cleaning, organizing, etc.) Although those things are both necessary and valued, it was great to just spend four days enjoying each other's company.
I came away from the holiday, feeling very, very blessed. (That word is so overused today, but I mean it in the sincerest of uses.) I have met my soulmate, we both have wonderful families and friends, we live in one of the most beautiful states in the nation, we both have job security, make an honest living, and affect the lives of others in a positive way through teaching. Now as if this life was not sweet enough, we get to add the biggest of all cherries to the top of our cake, Eli.
2008 holds many new adventures for "The Morgan Family". Some will be difficult as with all new things, some will be frustrating, and some will be tiring. Luckily, Mara and I waited until we were old enough to realize the daily challenges of parenthood. However, every new adventure will build our character, will develop our skills as parents, and will mature our relationship as man and wife. Each new day will build our love for each other and for our son. One of my own favorite lessons about life is from the movie, "Parenthood". This scene redefined my outlook on life. Below is the script of that scene.
[Gil (dad) has been complaining about his complicated life; Grandma wanders into the room] Grandma: You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster.
Gil: Oh?
Grandma: Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride!
Gil: (sarcastically) What a great story.
Grandma: I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.
Need I say more?? Have a wonderful year to come and enjoy the ride!
I am thrilled that Eli's arrival is coming so soon. The stereotype is that most men want to postpone the responsibilities of being a father until they are at least in their 60's. Or in Tony Randall's case, his 70's. But I feel my whole life has been preparation for fatherhood and husbandry. I love Mara so much and can't wait to expand our family with this precious little boy.
Mara and I had a rare opportunity to celebrate our wedding anniversary this year at "The Greenbrier" thanks to my very generous in-laws. (I have always hated the term "in-laws". Bob and Mikkey are more like my second parents and good friends.) Mara and I had four wonderful days of pampering with much time to relax and reflect about our seven years of marriage together and what the future holds for us. If we were at home, we would have instead filled our time with endless preparations. (i.e. cleaning, organizing, etc.) Although those things are both necessary and valued, it was great to just spend four days enjoying each other's company.
I came away from the holiday, feeling very, very blessed. (That word is so overused today, but I mean it in the sincerest of uses.) I have met my soulmate, we both have wonderful families and friends, we live in one of the most beautiful states in the nation, we both have job security, make an honest living, and affect the lives of others in a positive way through teaching. Now as if this life was not sweet enough, we get to add the biggest of all cherries to the top of our cake, Eli.
2008 holds many new adventures for "The Morgan Family". Some will be difficult as with all new things, some will be frustrating, and some will be tiring. Luckily, Mara and I waited until we were old enough to realize the daily challenges of parenthood. However, every new adventure will build our character, will develop our skills as parents, and will mature our relationship as man and wife. Each new day will build our love for each other and for our son. One of my own favorite lessons about life is from the movie, "Parenthood". This scene redefined my outlook on life. Below is the script of that scene.
[Gil (dad) has been complaining about his complicated life; Grandma wanders into the room] Grandma: You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster.
Gil: Oh?
Grandma: Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride!
Gil: (sarcastically) What a great story.
Grandma: I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.
Need I say more?? Have a wonderful year to come and enjoy the ride!
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Bring on 2008!!!
Wow- it's 2008 and Baby E should be coming home this month, or early next month if all goes according to plans :) CAN YOU FLIPPIN' BELIEVE THAT?!?!?! I am really trying not to get too excited, because I know this next wait time is going to be the hardest. I don't know if it's because of Baby E's arrival or New Year's, but I am in that "get things done" mode...ready to clean, organize and nest!!!Last night for New Year's we celebrated with Dwayne, Shasta, Pete, Becky & Paulie...he was everyone's New Year's Baby as you can see from his photo! What a awesome kid! We had a really fun time and it was nice to settle into the New Year with close friends.
This had been a great winter break, but I am sorry to see it come to an end. We go back to school tomorrow! When we come home from work, we will have some company....Lauren & Roy and their exchange student, Min Son from South Korea and her friend Shino from Japan are coming for a visit. They will explore D.C and Baltimore while they are here. We are excited to be able to show them the town!
For our anniversary (7 years!!!), my parents sent us off to the Greenbrier in WV- It was an AMAZING trip. It is very easy to see why it is the country's #1 resort! It was so relaxing and over the top. It is easy to get used to being majorly pampered! We ate an insane amount of superb cuisine so, yes, eating healthy & exercising is among my new year's resolutions! Instead of just one, I have come up with a list of the 8 things to do in '08. (My brother said, "What are you Letterman?!" And they are....
#1. Eat healthy
#2. Exercise
#3. Be a mommie :)
#4. Take time for me
#5. Take time for Randy & me
#6. Pay off debt-spend less
#7. Watch less t.v
#8. Tick things off the home to-do list
I know what you are thinking....My world is about to change with #3, so bye, bye to the rest of the list- and when that time comes, there will be nothing wrong with just focusing on my son!! Bring it on 2008!!!!
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