Annyeong!
Here are some random pictures for your viewing pleasure... Meanwhile, we get Hudson in 1.5 hours!!!! Then we're off tomorrow morning at 7 with another couple, Ed and Amanda who is picking up Crews. We started talking via the Dillon forum knowing that we would probably travel together since we got our referrals the same day. They live in Houston so it is nice to have a connection since I'm sure we will be visiting Rachael there soon.

Jonathan here! Saturday we toured the DMZ "demilitarized zone" which has devided North & South Korea since the end of the Korean War in 1953. It was a great learning experience and really helped us understand the tension that has existed over the last 75 years in Korea. Even though the armistice was signed in 1953, plotting and planning did not stop there. 29 N. Korean assassins were captured in 1968 in an attempt on the S. Korean president's life. Since then barb wire fences have been set up along the water borders of the country in addition to the DMZ protecting land borders. No airplanes can fly through DMZ airspace or they will get shot down. Tunnels were found in 1970, 72, and 90 that were from 25-50 stories deep in the ground and came out around 50 km from Seoul... no I don't have any idea how many miles that is (silly metric system). There are undoubtedly more tunnels which have not yet been found (scary). S. Korea also has many "tank traps" set up on highways. These look like bridges, but are packed with dynamite and would be destroyed to block off any entryways into Seoul in the event of an invasion. Kind-of scary to drive through so many! We don't have that many pictures to post since the DMZ is pretty strict about what you are allowed to see. We did get to climb down one tunnel and it was quite the workout..especially since anyone over 5' tall had to walk around with a hunched back. These tunnels took over a decade to build. It was truly amazing and I'm really glad we took the time to go on the tour. The tour was really cool but also really sad. S. Korea desperately wants to make peace and reunite as it once was. Both governments helped build a railroad to unite the two countries and to give S. Korea a land route to China. Relations seemed to be strengthening until as S. Koreans were allowed entrance into N. Korea from 1999-2008 after the building of the unification bridge. Sadly, a tragic incident occurred in 2008. A visiting S. Korean was killed, evidently for breaking some regulation and no one is allowed in N. Korea now. Relations took a big hit with this incident. We followed all strict rules in the DMZ, notice the yellow no photo lines.

It was also really intense to see the guards watching your every move. There is a unification village set up on both sides of the DMZ. The N. Korean side does not even have any residents. They just pipe propaganda over the loud speakers at all times.

Tonight, Hudson we will get to keep Hudson for good, but don't worry, we won't scare him with any stories of the DMZ (just stories of a 13 hr. flight and a bunch of dogs waiting for him at the house.)

Ok, so I'm just now having time to write. BTW, it is 5 in the morning.. Still haven't gotten over jet lag... Anyway, can I just say Best. Day. Ever. Well, maybe I should start at the beginning..

We flew out Wednesday at 7am, layover for 4 hours in Chicago. 14 hours later we land in Incheon. It was brutal. Korean Air is fabulous, don't get me wrong, but that is a long flight. I think I watched or attempted to watch every movie offered. It was hot, which I am always freezing on planes so I dressed for cold. We didn't sleep a wink. yikes.

Our driver met at us at the airport and drove us about an hour into Seoul straight to Eastern. This is the agency and babies home. There are about 20 rooms in thier guesthouse. We were so excited that there was room for us because it just makes everything so much more convenient. It is now 6pm and we went straight to our room and passed out for a couple hours then ventured outside for some food. Then we came back and passed out again...

Our little Seoul man...

Friday morning we met with our Social worker, Mrs. Sung. She was very grateful for the gift and gave us Hudson's passport and other documents. Then it was time... 10am... We went to the Observation room-this is where all the videos and pictures are taken from our updates. Mrs. Choi came in with Hudson on her back. We were so excited, but didn't want to bombard him. The last update we got said that he had severe stranger anxiety, so we wanted to lay low and let him warm up. We all sat on the play mat and Jonathan got out the little Hot Wheels my mom bought. He was very interested! He just watched and watched and watched. Of course I'm snapping a millon pictures a second, it sounds like a photographer at a football game trying to catch all the action. Naturally my camera catches his attention. Mrs. Choi stood him up and pushed him to walk to his 'omma' (momma). I was nervous because I didn't want him to feel forced. Well, he walked right over and gave me the car. He loves the give and take game! He sat on my lap and played with my hair. He laughed when I clapped for him, it was incredible. I could not have imagined it to go any better. Mrs. Choi was excited he was warming up so quickly. We played for about an hour as I asked questions for the Social worker to interpret to Mrs. Choi (foster mom) This is what we found out:

• He sleeps from 11-7 sometimes waking for a bottle.



• He naps at 11am for only an hour (I think I get more sleep than this kid)



• He must sleep with his Foster mom



• He only eats organic, otherwise his eczema flares up



• He has very sensitive skin



• He eats apples, pears, rice with vegetables



• He bathes at noon because FM thinks he gets cold and it is the best time of day for his skin



• He is scared of dogs (yikes)



• He had 8 teeth, 4 top, 4 bottom
  


• He has been walking well since 11 months



• He drinks milk-based formula
  

He likes to ride in the stroller but likes to stand up...hmm

We started to wrap up the questions and it was already 11:15-15 minutes after his nap. All of the sudden, he walks behind me and puts his hands around my neck! He was trying to ride on my back like he does with his FM! It was so funny! FM and the social worker thought it was hilarious! She kept calling for him to come so they could go and kept tight and didn't want to let go around my neck! Finally she reached in her bag and revealed the mother of all bribes...Shrimp puffs. He immediatly jumped off ran to them!! She gets these at the Organic Market. We will be shipping crates home...lol...

All in all, fabulous visit. We had such low expecations because we knew he was going to be really scared but it went great!

Seoul searching.... (I can't resist the puns..)

After that, we grabbed some food -roasted pork and vegetables for me (very spicy!) and Pan broiled squid for Jonathan. Then we did some shopping in Insadong for some authentic Korean souvenirs for Hudson. We bought a World Cup jersey and a name chop (stamp) with his Korean and American name. We also wanted to go to Dongmyo because there was a Toy market we had heard about from our friends back in Fayetteville. Well, we searched FOREVER. We were so tired and ready to go home. We finally found a girl who could read English, kind-of. After several more blocks we made it! Of course by this time everyone was closing! I ran into a few stores and just started picking up Pororo toys and leaving Jonathan to pay while I ran to the next store. We, of course managed to buy a little wooden baseball bat in addition to some bath toys, trucks, stickers and crayons.

I guess it's a good thing we have Hudson's room officially done because... WE GOT OUR TRAVEL CALL!!! The last few steps of his process has gone abnormally fast! The Emigration Permission typically takes 4-6 weeks, his was approved in 3...Next is his Visa which takes 1-2 weeks and apparently took days because after that is the 2-4 week wait for Travel Call and both these were processed one week after EP approval!!! Whoa!!!
I found out Friday when I was boarding a plane from NY (on business). Our social worker literally called right as the flight attendant was telling people to turn off 'all your electronic devices..blah blah..' She was getting very irritated with me since I kept saying into the phone, "Are you serious..but..but.. really??" Wow..Shocker. Now I had to keep myself from going crazy during the remaining 2 hour flight until I got home.

We booked our travel and are leaving Wednesday, returning next Monday.

What an awesome Birthday present!!!

Buster is super excited for Hudson's arrival. He has been 'testing' all of his toys to make sure they are safe...

Wow...So I've been a bit busy. I got back Monday from a nice combination of business and pleasure. For work I headed out to San Francisco, California last Monday. Thursday, when my co-workers headed out, I stayed to extend my trip to have some fun! Jonathan flew out on Wednesday and we left on Monday.

It was an awesome trip. Jonathan had never been and I had been once for only a couple of days when I visited my sisters 5 years ago. I was definitely nice to get away from the HOT weather to enjoy San Francisco's 'record cold summer'. We had tons of fun and managed to celebrate HUDSON'S 1ST BIRTHDAY!!!!! That's right, his Birthday was August 20th. We ate at Seoul Garden and had some fabulous food! We are definitely ready to celebrate some more authentic Korean food...like in Korea...

Speaking of, it seems like things are moving quicker than expected so there is a real possibility we could be traveling in SEPTEMBER!! More updates to come...

A couple of weeks ago, our Sunday School class so graciously threw us a baby shower for Hudson! It was so much fun! There was a great turn out and Hudson got a lot of cool stuff!! I am finally finding a place for everything. We got a stroller, lots of books, diapers, toiletries, clothes and toys. We are so thankful for such an amazing group of friends that are so supportive and are always there for us.


Even more good news.... We received notice on Thursday that Hudson's Emigration Permission was submitted! This is the document that officially starts readying Hudson for his exit from Korea to the US. We still have a little bit of a wait, but we have learned to celebrate every step! I think the earliest travel date would be the last week of September, but we are anticipating October as more likely.

So we're back! We got back from New Orleans a few weeks ago. We had a great time with Jonathan's parents. We saw the entire city. We even went on a Swamp Tour! We experienced some odd behavior by some baby Russian boars and of course lots of alligators. Both animals had a sweet tooth for marshmellows which is what the tour guide would toss out every couple minutes. We visited a couple of the historic city cemetaries which I found very cool. We also walked around the Garden District which is where the town's celebrities and wealthy live. We saw the homes of Anne Rice, Nick Cage, Sandra Bullock and Archie Manning just to name a few.

Of course we ate some awesome Seafood, went to the French market and visited the aquarium . It was definitly an action packed few days, but worth every minute!

New Video!

We came home from New Orleans on Monday night to find our latest video of Hudson in the mail!

The clarity is much better here on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpFGBaPr3ko

Our baby is 11 months old!

That's right, Tuesday was Hudson's eleven month Birthday. We are stilll anxiously awaiting the video from last month. I can't wait to see him playing and more mobile then the last video. We know we'll be in the next batch of EPs (Emmigration Permission) submitted. Which means hopefully we'll be going in September.

Other than that, we've been putting the final touches on his room and winding up for some mini-vacations in the next month. Today we're heading to DeWitt and leaving for New Orleans with Jonathan's parents on tomorrow. We cannot wait. I love historical cities and can't wait to go... even if it is going to be hotter than hot, even if there is a tropical storm moving in that direction right now, and even if the oil spill has effected the seafood...we are still excited!

More news from Seoul!

Last week we received more pictures of Hudson and an update from our agency!

This was written for this 9 month update. It takes about a month from our agency's rep to get there, visit, process updates and forward on to us. So he is now 10 months old.

"His foster mother gives him a bath every other day and does not use soap due to sensitive skin. He can be quick tempered and does not like strangers. He goes to sleep at 11 pm and gets up at 7am, waking several times throughout the night as he is very sensitive to sounds and wakes up immediately. He sleeps on the floor by his foster mother. He is able to sit unassisted, crawl on his hands and knees, pull up to stand, and can stand without support. He can say omma (mom) and mamma (food). He likes new toys, especially toy cars. There is another foster baby boy age 3 months in the foster home.

As of May 20, weight 8.8kg, height 73cm, head 44.3cm, chest 42.8cm, teeth 0/2"

I'll be honest, there are a few things about this update that make me nervous...

1) he has extreme stranger anxiety... yikes, this is going to be an 'eventful' bonding period.

2) he is very sensitive to sounds and wakes up immediatly...with 3 dogs, one of which being a barker, this could be bad..

No matter how nervous I am, I am still ready to go get him! Getting the pictures is so bittersweet. I love to see how he's growing, but I'm sad not to have him home. Anyway, on to the pictures...

He is holding the stuffed rattle horse we sent in our last package in May. Jonathan was not impressed with Mrs. Choi's wardrobe decision of bright pink socks... We're still planning on October timing to go pick him up. I watch for news from families ahead of us hoping some revelation will happen and we will get a call tomorrow...

So... A lot has changed...

Hello all!!

Since the last post, we have got 2 more updates on Hudson... One good, one not so good. I always stick with bad news first, so I can end on a high note...


The first one was to all waiting families as an update on timelines. Here's some background: S. Korea is reducing the number of foreign adoptions and encouraging more domestic adoptions (which is not a bad thing by any means) however, this means that every year the government regulates the number of babies that can leave the country. Last year our agency met their 'quota' of babies early- around August. What that means is that no families can travel to pick up their child until the following new year. So in February 2010, those families finally started to be able to travel. They had a long wait- around 6-7 months. Typically they tell us the wait should be around 3-6 months, but it is almost always 4 months.


Jonathan and I expected to be closer to 5 months given the backlog of families from 2009. Then we got a letter from the agency. They have moved all waiting times from here on out to 8-12 months. After working with the Korean agency/orphange, Eastern, it was just not realistic to believe the original timeframe could be kept in light of the recent goverment announcements. So now we've been told to expect our baby's age to be 14-18 months instead of the original 9-10 months.


This was pretty upsetting news to us as we thought we were so close. We have plenty of things to thankful for though. Nothing has changed with our baby. Hudson is still ours, we will just get him a little older. His foster parents are taking really good care of him and love him to pieces. He has a foster baby brother (I think around 3 months) that is probably entertaining him a lot. And now we just have more time to get the nursery together and save $$.

The second update we recieved just yesterday. Hudson apparently has eczema (doesn't every baby though?) Heck, I still get it on my hands every once in a while, huh must take after me... Anyway, that is why we got the update and pictures! It was a really nice surprise to see his face! He is getting so big! Here are the updates on his 8 month progress report:

• He is about 18.5 lbs
• He eats apples, rice and bread
• He is a night owl and goes to sleep at 11
• He tries to crawl, can roll over and uses his pincer grasp
• He responds to his name and 'no'
• He plays in the sitting position
• He imitates speech sound "umma, appa" meaning momma, papa

Hudson's first video appearance

Well, we finally got the video to accompany the pictures below and Jonathan got it loaded onto YouTube. We also got a short update:

"He has been doing well. He takes 75cc of formula at first and then takes 75cc in 20 minutes. He only takes forumula now. He does not eat much. He tends to spit up after formula. He wakes up almost every three hours at night. He sleeps by this foster mother on the floor at night. He is fussy around one hour before sleeping. The foster mother carries him on her back to make him sleep. He rolls over and over. He holds his hands together. He is loud and quick-tempered.

He likes any toys."

As of Feb. 19, weight 7.7kg, height 69cm, head 41.8cm, chest 41.2cm

We thought his behavior sounded a bit different than when we got our first information. In the first email they told us how he was sleeping mostly through the night, he was quiet and mild-tempered, so we were somewhat surprised reading how much he had changed...and then we read the last sentence, "There is also a one month old foster baby boy in the home". Well, no wonder! he is probably a little jealous trying to figure out this new 1 month old that is getting some of his attention! Poor little guy!

It is so funny to watch this in Korean, especially when they are opening the stuff we sent! I would LOVE to find someone to translate especially when they are looking through the picture album and start busting out with laughter! I'm hoping they're looking at the photo of the dogs and not laughing at us...

Anyway, it is so good to see how well he is being taken care of, we can tell Mr. and Mrs. Choi give a lot of love to him and other babies. We are so thankful for them and their kindness.

Hudson Joon Hart

We just recieved new pictures yesterday from Korea! The director of the program at our agency makes frequent trips for updates, pictures, etc of the children. She snapped these two photos and we'll be getting a video and written update on his development in a week or so! He is almost 7 months now! I can't believe it!

We are naming him Hudson Joon Hart. Joon from his Korean name and Hart is Jonthan's middle name.

He is holding the snuggly I made and sent to him!

Look at that crazy hair!!!

Him and his foster mom along with his social worker

DRUMROLL PLEASE....

That's right, folks... We have a SON! We got the referral of a baby boy on 2/5!! His name is JoonSeong Lee. Joon means excellent and Seong means achieve. We are still deciding on his American name, but planning to keep a portion of his Korean name. Mr. and Mrs. Choi are his foster parents and they are 64 years old!! They have two grown kids of their own and have been fostering babies for over 20 years!! Here are pics of him at his 5 month check-up.

He is about 16 lbs . His Birthday is August 20. In his medical reports, amoungst other things, the doctor described him as "Cute and Alert".

Joon and Mrs. Choi

According to Mrs. Choi, he loves baths, is babbling a lot, and laughs often. Could it get any better than this?!

So, for those wondering what's next: We continue to work with the Immigration office while the agency works with the Korean government to start the process of bringing him home. We recieved his birth certificate last week and are still in a whirlwind of paperwork and notaries... All in all, it is another 3-6 months until we travel to Seoul to get him. June would be a lovely time to travel...cross your fingers!