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Today was an incredible day.
We met the foster mother at SWS at 11:00 local time. I'll tell you, that was one of the most
touching events I've ever witnessed and exactly why we chose Korea in the first place. It was
really kind of odd at first. We said anyeonghaseyo (hello) and we were all sitting around
passing the baby back and forth wondering what would happen next and when. What I soon
realized was this interaction actually had a purpose. It was a relatively slow transition
process from foster mother to new mother/family. Makes a lot of sense if you think about it.
I'm sure it was comforting for him to see his foster mother with us rather than just handing
him over and saying annyeonghi gaseo (good bye). And it seems to have worked because he has
been the best baby thus far.
The foster mother gave us final instructions and was very "motherly" when she thought Lauren
wasn't doing something right during the feeding. We then asked her to hold the baby so we
could take a final photo. She took the baby, cradled him in her arms looked up at us and
immediately bowed her head as she began to cry. As she turned her back to us to regain her
composure, I looked at Lauren and she started crying. As I looked to Louise, I could tell that
she had been crying for some time already. This woman took in a stranger's baby for ~4
months knowing she would soon need to give him to his adoptive parents and I know she loved
him as if he were her own child. Although his life started out a little shaky, he has been loved
since day one and I hope both the foster mother and his birth mother know he will be loved for
the rest of his life.
We spent the remainder of the day getting to know Sam Joon Young. He has been a great baby
and doesn't seem to be shy or afraid of us. Of course he has cried but only when hungry or he
needed to be changed. He drools a lot and chews on his fingers so we suspect he may be in the
early throws of teething ( I'm beginning to realize that I'm going to be wet in some way shape
or form for the next few months). He is up to 10.6 KG or 23.369 pounds according to my
calculator. Did I mention he is ~4.5 months old? He seems very....healthy is the word I
choose.
We leave tomorrow. There won't be a journal entry due to our travel but we promise to try
again on Friday. Our flight is at 1:50 pm local time and we are scheduled to land at Dulles at
6:50 pm (layover in San Francisco) Thursday. Weird to think that this trip is almost over.
We've waited for it to happen for so long and now we are done. Funny, I'm not afraid
anymore, although I am a little apprehensive of the constant threat of his exposed waist area
as I changed my first diaper today. I need to figure that one out fast.
This has been an unforgettable trip for us and we hope for those of you who joined us via the
web, you enjoyed the ride. We plan to continue posting once we return to Virginia. Certainly
not daily but perhaps weekly for now. Thanks everyone for all your support and kind thoughts.
Love,
Kevin, Lauren, Louise and Sam Joon Young (& Pinky Pie)
PS...and now that we'll no longer be "In Country", we'll see you "Back Home"
