Passports and Panda Bears!

We have 2 victories to celebrate this week...

1. Levi has a passport!!! The Korean government has issued our son a passport which means only one more step in the process. Come on Travel Clearance! (The agency quoted 2-4 more weeks until travel, but really TC could come any day!)

2. Adam has successfully changed his first diaper! (see Panda Bear) Doesn't the Panda look happy, dry, and comfortable. Good job Daddy!

Good News Everyone!

That's right...we have good news to share!!! The emigration permit (EP) for Levi has been issued and approved by the Korean government! EP is the process by which the Korean government allows a child to leave the country for adoption overseas, and this is the approval we have been waiting on for 8+ months.

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What's next? Levi's passport will be issued in 1-2 weeks, and we should have travel clearance in 2-4 weeks from then. So in a nutshell, Levi will be home in 3-6 weeks!!!!

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I have 3- 6 weeks to teach Adam how to change a diaper because ready or not, here comes Levi!

Our Korean Prince!

Here are a few formal pictures taken at Levi's first birthday. He looks like pure royalty! Hopefully, he won't make us refer to him as Prince Levi!

Levi is wearing "hanbok" which is Korean formal attire worn at special festivals and celebrations. Adam and I had the opportunity to try on hanbok while in Korea, and let me tell you, it's not easy to get into that stuff. In fact, it took Adam, me, and a helper to get me into mine. So the fact that Levi is still smiling after all that fuss makes me think he is one easy going kid!

Levi Update

We received an update on Levi and a few photos! Formal photos of his first birthday and a new video should be arriving soon as well. Levi appears to be having one BAD hair day which means he should fit right in to the family!

In the pictures, he is opening the birthday package we sent him, but it looks like the items that interest him most are the jewelry box and lipstick holder we sent for his foster mom. Go figure!

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Here is the update from the agency about our son:

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He likes paper and books. He can wave, say uh-bu-bah (piggy-back), bye-bye, omma, appa, bop ( rice), mam-ma (food), pa-pa. If he hears the phone ring, he goes to telephone; he likes it a lot. Since June, he pulls up to stand and has taken a few steps unassisted. He eats everything such as rice, gruel, and fruit and does not seem to be a picky eater. He goes to sleep at 10 pm and wakes at 2 am drinking a bottle and goes back to sleep. Then he wakes up at 5 am and gets another bottle and finally gets up 7 am. He sleeps by the foster mother at night. While sleeping, he rolls over and over on the floor. He is not fussy before sleeping. He likes to bathe; this happens in the morning. If the foster mother is not with him, he is upset. In September, he had a fever due to bronchitis and was hospitalized for one week. He is good natured and laughs easily. He climbs on low tables and can sit on it. Pa Rang is the only foster child at the foster home.

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As of Nov. 24, weight 10.1kg, height 74.5cm, head 45.8cm, chest 45cm teeth 0/1
As of Oct. 25, weight 9.8kg, height 73.6cm, head 45.2cm, chest 44.4cm

The Big ONE!!!

We spent the Thanksgiving holiday at beautiful Ft. Lauderdale beach. It was sunny and eighty degrees every day. Since Thanksgiving Day was Levi’s first birthday, we thought it was only appropriate we do it up big! So…we put on our party hats and rang in his special day with cake, candles, and singing!

Happy Birthday Levi!

Birthday Package for Levi

Our birthday package for Levi is on its way to Seoul, South Korea. I'm hoping it gets there just in time for Levi's first birthday celebration! The US post office has a shipping program that uses the motto, "If it fits, it ships" and it's amazing just how much you can cram into one box. Here's a run down of what we sent.

Three outfits. Isn't the Puma running suit the cutest?


Lots of fun things: A singing birthday card, pull along puppy, birthday hats and whistles, and a recorder cell phone with a special birthday message from Mommy and Daddy. The message is in English, of course, and will make no sense to Levi, but at least he will get to hear our voices.

And of course a few things for Ms. Kwon, his foster mom: cookies, scarf, manicure set, and a Texas Rangers cap. Even though the Rangers didn't win the world series, we are still proud of them!

Happy Birthday to one special and loved little boy!

Disappointing News :(

Recently, we received disappointing news from South Korea. The yearly quota has been met so no more babies will be leaving Korea for the rest of 2010. What is the yearly quota, you ask? In a nutshell, the Korean government is trying to phase out international adoption in hopes of keeping their babies in Korean families. Every year, they allow fewer and fewer babies to be adopted to countries overseas so once the quota is met, all paperwork and emigration permissions are halted until the next calendar year. Things begin rolling again around the end of January.

What does this mean for our son? Levi is still ours. The adoption will still move forward. We are thankful for this. However, our estimated time for travel is now in March. So....more waiting. We are, obviously, disappointed because we hoped to celebrate his first birthday and Christmas with Levi. But, we know God is faithful, and we are choosing daily (and sometimes hourly) to trust Him in this matter. And we know, Levi will be well worth the wait!