Ave Maria

There are some jobs that only a certain person can do.  It takes a special person to be a Korea program director for Children's Bridge.  I'm wondering if its the "type A" personality she keeps talking about. hahaha 

In all the hustle and bustle of getting Olivia settled and comfortable, I've neglected to mention one of the most important person that was responsible in helping unite with Olivia. No, she didn't match us and no she didn't know of Olivia when they refered her to us.  But, she was there from the very beginning. I have a feeling that our journey and friendship with Maria will continue.  It started with that late phone call March 2009 evening to tell us we were ready to start the process.  The rest they say is the history in the making. It was her voice that we waiting for so "patiently" to hear.  It was her voice that we first heard when we found out our prayers had been answered.

She has been there through every step of the process.  Making sure all the documents were in on time, making sure they were filled in correctly.  People should know that 80% of the process is all paper work and dead lines.  She was there to receive and send all the documents back and forth from the ministry to Korea.  I'm sure dealing with anxious parents like us wasn't easy. hahahha.  But she was calm and ever so helpful and it was much appreciated that her hand was there to walk us through the process.  That's her job "making families happen". 

I walked in last week to introduce Olivia to the CB family.  They were awaiting our arrival for awhile.  I feel bad that it has taken this long.  I walked in and there they were (sans Shelley - next time I promise) welcoming her with open arms.  Everyone eager to touch or hold her when she was ready.  It just occured to me that this was the most special time for the people, especially Maria, when they finally see the family united.  It must be the best part of the job.  Maria has done hundreds of these I'm sure.  She gets to see every family finally with their child they have been waiting for so long.  She gets to be part of that every day, every year.

Did I mention she is a devoted and wonderful mother?  I remember this conversation we were having about Christmas and the need to be more socially aware.  There she was making an advent calendar of good deeds for her children.  She is the type of person that every mother aspires to be. (And she could do a great ELMO impersonation! - won Olivia over for sure.) Divine intervention has brought us to Maria and through her help we were able to have Olivia in our lives.

Her every action and effort brought Olivia to us.  We are forever thankful for what she and her team did.  They have a special place in our hearts.

We found NEMO!

Easter Bunny and our first road trip!

This weekend marked Miss O's first Easter and first BIG family event.  There was much "discussion" about our weekend get away.  As you know, Olivia has been with us for almost 2 months now. She is progessing so well that sometimes I forget that she can still be overwhelmed with change in routine and different people around.  This weekend there was a big family party planned for my aunt who is going back to the Philippines, plus it was Easter so it was a great opportunity for ALL the family to get together.  WE HAD TO BE THERE.  Of course there was the hope from family members to meet Olivia for the first time.  Granted a big family affair was probably not the best scenario for Miss O, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity to say goodbye to Tita Edith.  Also Lola and Lola were going for an extended vacation to the Philippines too and Olivia wouldn't see them until June!  Ohhh they would miss her so.

So after much thought we decided to make a overnight trip to Brampton.  We had our family bonding day on Friday (the weather was spectacular), and then we left shortly after breakfast Saturday morning.  We packed up her clothes, food, diapers, and the extra bag full of toys and goodies for the car.  We contemplated stopping at Costco to buy a portable DVD player just in case we needed Elmo to help us out.  However, it turned out that Olivia slept for the first 3 hours of the road trip.  We couldn't believe it.   We got to Brockville, still sleeping. Okay...let's wait till Kingston to stop...nope...still sleeping.  Bellevile?  Nope.  She actually woke up 1 hour away from Toronto.  Thank goodness because we needed to hit the washroom so badly, but didn't want to stop because of Miss O. hahahha  We had lunch in at a rest area (disinfectant wipes in hand!) and then onwards to Brampton.  Actually, made a pit stop at Panera Bread, where Tita Melissa and Lola meet us for a snack.

After our snack we stopped in at Square One to check out some things and back to Lola and Lolo's house.  It was a nice day all in all.  When we arrived at the house, she had a chance to unwind and play a bit.  She had dinner, and then it was off to Tita Melissa's house to sleep.  It was an extra long day for her, so she had to miss her much loved bath.  Papa was really more sad about it.  Then all 3 of us hopped into Tita Melissa's bed (thankyou!) exhausted. Tomorrow would be a bigger day.  Extended  family.  Family who loves babies. :0)

In the morning, we woke up and got dressed.  Olivia had her Easter dress on which had an extra petticoat to make it extra pouffy.  How the heck we got her seatbelt on I have no idea?  We had a quick breakfast at Panera. Unfortunately we didn't make it to mass. Sigh.  Good intentions.  We headed back to Lola's house to give them some "baby" time before the herd came in and snatch her away. 

The rest seems like a blur..hahhahah.  Family came in droves and it was all exciting. They all wanted to see our dear Olivia and give her kisses.  I have to admit, it was a bit stressful.  Kept asking myself, "Is it too early?"  "Can she handle this?"  "Will my family think it's rude if I take her away if she cries?"  But in the end, they were all very respectful of Olivia and giving her space that she needed.  At this point, the dress with the layers of crinolin came off and she was playing only in her onesie.  They way she loves. hahahha Then it was time to go.  Sigh.  It was so very short, but it was great to see everyone and have that chance for everyone to meet Miss O.  It'll be another 2 months before Lola and Lolo see Olivia again.  She'll be that much bigger (well hopefully not too much!), she'll be more talkative and moving around more. 

We said our goodbyes and kisses and headed back to Ottawa.   I have to admit, I was more emotional about leaving than expected.  Maybe I was overwhelmed by all the family attention and love as well.  It's one of those times where I do miss living near my big family.  I'm sureMartin feels the same about his family living in Montreal.  Our family parties were always the best and I miss all of my relatives.  Having a little one, I hope it won't stop our regular visits to Brampton.  Olivia will just have to get used to the road trips.  It's one of the perks of living in Ottawa I guess. :0)

Olivia had a good ride back.  We stopped in Kingston and had dinner at a very family friendly restaurant.  Swiss Chalet.  Then we stopped at the drive-thru Starbucks.  YAY!  Then did the next stretch home.  Because it was her bedtime, she was out of sorts and a bit cranky.  I sat in the back to try to calm her down, and 30 minutes before we arrived home she fell fast asleep.  Of course.

WE got home and immediately brought her to our room and she woke up with a huge smile and clapped her hands. Home again...something familiar.

For more pictures...click below.

http://picasaweb.google.ca/Mingsavy/Easter2010?feat=email#

Marty touching base..Everyday!

Hi everyone..sorry for the quiet time...well in terms of the blog!!!!!
I just wanted to give you a brief update on things and some of my thoughts!
Miss O is doing really good, I never ever imagined how much she would changed our life...and never imagined my life could get any better then it was already.
As me and Mel were talking,  we remembered a conversation from about over a year now, after all the thought times building a family, and asked ourselves the question:
How we would look back at our life without children when we are 75 year young ? Would we feel we had a fulfilled life?
We both look at each other and think, you know what, life bring different things, and not only one path leads to happiness. We are soulmate, and enjoying our every moments together, we share everything, we are silly together, we laugh together, we cry together (well you know!!!) and we felt that we would have no regrets just being the 2 of us and happy to spoiled all our nieces, nephews and god child"s (we have quite a few of those!)
.....but today, after I came back from my trip in California, for the first race of the season, and sitting in the car driving to Toronto with Mel, we looked at each other and I said...
I still believe what I was thinking over a year ago..BUT you know!!!! now, I could not imagine my present and future without my 2 girlfriends.

Everyday is a bigger blessing when I see my 2 girls intertwined in bed, when I wake up to go to work.
Everyday, I can't wait for my day to start, because I know it start with Olivia and Mama playing silly in bed
Everyday I can't wait before I leave, to have breakfast all together as a family..(the price for O to participate.....a few extra cherios needed..But less and less everyday.)
Everyday, I can't wait to come home after work and have her and mommy waiting for me
Everyday I can't wait to give her dinner
Everyday i can't wait to give her bath, and have her make bubbles!
and yes...everyday i can't wait to sit with her before bed watching Elmo, over and over.

Come the think of it, now I can surely say that when i'm 75....We had the time of our life!
Stay silly Miss O, daddy loves you!....... Everyday.

Go Papa Go!

To show support for papa's race tomorrow, we are sending positive vibes and butterfly kisses.

Happy 1 Month Baby Girl! - March 24th

One month ago (February 24th) we carried you in our arms and promised in your ear to love you forever and for always.  Everyday she's changing, her hair is getting longer (yay!), we're getting to know and understand her temperament (just like papa), she finds new ways to make us laugh with her silliness, things are getting better with the stroller and car seat (kind of), and there are more and more people are falling in love with her.  She is the joy in our hearts and she is ours forever.

http://picasaweb.google.ca/Mingsavy/Olivia_1_month#

A Different "March Break" this year

All these years teaching, I've always wanted to do something exciting and mememorable for March Break. Every year though I hum and hah about the heacaches of travelling during March Break. It's insanely busy, it's extremely expensive, and by the end of the trip I always think "Am I well rested to make it to the end of June?".  Sooo I haven't really done anything special for March Break. 

Actually for the first time last year, I did do something special with my family.  For my dad's 70th birthday, we went to Las Vegas.  It was a great trip. The hotel could have been better, but overall it was good food, great company, and we had lots of fun.  I remember though it was a week before that we got a call from Maria at Children's Bridge to say that "they" were ready to accept our application for adoption.

What did that mean?  We had just visited CB in December and she told us that we were on the waiting list for 2011. Now it was only 3 months later, March 2009, and she said we are ready to start the process. We couldn't believe it.  So I started off that March break full of anticipation of what the year will bring.  New hopes and new dreams.

1 year later...Our baby girl entered our hearts forever.  This year, I "celebrated" my March break with my family AND my daughter.  It's been a whirlwind year, and I still can't believe how our lives have changed in one year.  No it's not an exotic trip to Turks and Caicos but I'm having the best time of my life.

Clothes!

If you don't know by now but we've been having issues with changing O's clothes. She has this way of telling us that she doesn't want to put something on my straightening her arm and not letting it bend for us.  Then she bounces up and down so we can't get pants on. Sigh. If she could be in nothing but diapers all day she would be happy.  We especially can't wait till the warmer weather comes so we don't have to put on extra layers or jackets, mitts, and hats.  This weekend we went to Costco, and we were wondering why Olivia kept staring at Martin whenever he wears his hat.  We think we know now...

SHE WANTED TO WEAR IT!  And to Martin's excitement...she wanted to wear the Ironman cap.  She loved putting it on.  Figures.  Could it be that she just wants to wear sporty outfits????

Another issue is that Olivia is growing so fast (and by so much) we are moving through our 12 month clothing pretty quickly. Sigh.  Grandmama bought us a lovely designer Burberry shirt for Christmas. It was a 12 month.  Of course it would fit!  Wait a second, is that 12 month a European size or Canadian 12 month. Acutally, is it a KOREAN Formula feed 12 month size?

It's umm...kind of "snug" but dammit, it's Burberry and we will wear it (this week).

Weekend Update

More special times with Baby O.

Our first Dim Sum!  We'll actually she ate chicken and veggies and of course Cheerios. :0)

Lindsay and Josh came for a visit in the afternoon (also bringing gifts..sigh)  Thank you!

The Power of Cheerios

If Olivia could speak...  (Keep in mind she was at the other side of the room)

"I want Cheerios, where can I find them?"

"Ah ha!  Under my saucer!"

"If I could just reach a little more..."

"Jackpot!  I love these Cheerios!"

Our Water Baby

She loves her baths!  We actually had her in the full bathtub sitting in a bathring, but she wasn't comfortable. But she was so slippery we had to invest in a baby tub.  It was the best buy ever, because she gets to splash around and dunk her head safely (with minimal wiggling for daddy  ;0)).  It's the funniest thing. She blows bubbles in the water! Daddy is so happy because he gets to start swimming lessons soon. 

Friends, and Gifts, and Playgroup Oh My!

Well, it close to the end of Olivia's second week and it's been pretty busy.  The weather was so cooperative that we took advantage of it.  This week we ended up going to Westboro again for a stroll with Heather and then lunch with Daddy.  She was super good.  Then Alison, Laura, and Wyatt came for a visit.  All of them bringing treats. Very bad and totally unnecessary. hahahah  Then we have our first playdate with Olivia, Matthew and Alyssa.  It was great to be out and about.  Here are some pics to capture her second week.  She's one very happy baby girl.  :0)

First Doctor's Appt - Ouch!

Well, even though Baby O didn't have an OHIP card yet, we made a doctor's appointment anyways. Piece of mind that she was gaining weight and was healthy.  We did the trek all the way to Orleans to my family doctor. We were hoping for a pediatrician but there is nobody available in Ottawa. Really..how could that be?  Anyways..that's another blog in itself. 

We made it down to the clinic in good time and Olivia slept all the way there in the car. YAY!  When we arrived she woke up and she was in a great mood. Sigh.  Little did she know what was in store for her.  When we got there, the office was buzzing with excitement.  Olivia was in her playful charming mood and won the hearts off the staff there.  We carried her into the nurses office to be weighed. We placed her on the scale...24lbs!  Surely, they were mistaken.  But the nurse concurred that Olivia was about 24lbs.  But Cheerios are 0 fat! Sigh..that's our girl.  Well, we were pleased that she was at a "good" weight.  This meant we could turn her carseat around!  Woohoo!  I was pretty anxious about the weight restrictions and age recommendation. But, even the doctor said it would be alright to turn her around. She was pretty sturdy. ahhahah  Next they measured her head and her length. All good. Breathe.  The nurse then carried her to another room where we had to wait for the doctor.

Dr. Moss came in soon after.  She did her thing. I dont' know what she was doing, listening here...feeling there. ???  I guess that's what you do in a check up?  She said everything seemed to be normal.  We did a quick review of her medicals from Korea and looked at the immunizations that she needed. Today Olivia would get 2 shots.  Oh oh.   We thanked her and we made plans to see her in a month time for another check-up.  The nurse came back with the two needles.  She made Martin hold on to her legs so they wouldn't wiggle and gave a shot in each leg.  Poor thing didn't know what hit her.  She was all smiley and then within seconds the shot of pain went through and she let out a scream. UGH. I have to say though...it lasted all of 30 seconds.  Then she was fine.  Tough cookie. 

Second Wind

I don't know what happened...but everything went according to plan in the evening.  After our afternoon excursion, we came home and played. Then gave her dinner, and then she had quiet play time with daddy. Then it was time for bed. We gave her a bottle (which she drank till the end - yay!) and put on an Elmo DVD to put her to sleep.  Works like a charm. Anyways...she was fast asleep and so Martin decided to carry her upstairs and put her in her crib.  She woke up. But she wasn't half asleep she was WIDE awake.  Martin still carried Olivia upstairs hoping that he could put her back to bed in the crib.
But of course, as he laid her down, she began clapping her hands and laughing. Oh oh...not a good sign.  I mean...it's a great sign that she wants to play with Papa, but it meant that she was not going back to bed. She just came out of a power nap. hahahha  I laughed as I heard her screaming in delight and playing and poor Papa sighing in disbelief that she got her SECOND WIND.  Below is a picture of Martin TRYING to put her back to sleep.  :0)

And here is a picture of what happened next....back downstairs...sigh

One hour and a half later...

WHO WORE OUT WHO?

Weekend Outing

Yay!  A full day with daddy!  We planned to go to Westboro for a walk through the neighbourhood.  Because we knew that Olivia might be anxious about the stroller, we gave her a "calming" bath before in the afternoon and a nap. Seriously...how could we go wrong today?  She would be totally relaxed.  I don't know if it was the bath, or the nap, or the "bribes", but we did have an enjoyable afternoon.

We stopped at FabBaby Gear and bought some stroller accessories (what a racket!) so her ride would be most enjoyable.  Then we stopped at the Bagel Shop and got those bagel teethers.  I have to say... she loved them! So much so that her face was so slobbery because she was constantly gnawing at it!  HAHAHAHA  She ended up spending most of her time in the stroller, and even falling asleep in it for about 45 minutes. Mom and dad were able to have a snack and coffee while she slept. Woohoo!
Whe she woke up she was unsure about her surroundings and tried to give her a snack she wouldn't take it.  We didn't want to push our luck, so we decided to head home. She started off okay in the car, but then half way home, she could not be consoled.  She stopped crying the minute we walked into the door. She breathed a sigh of relief and screamed with delight as she saw her familar carpet full of toys.  I guess she's beginning to understand that this is her home now, and she is safe here.  Huge step.

We love berries!

Yes, another high chair picture opportunity.   But she's so cute (and messy!).  How do you get berry stains out please?

Baby Steps - Welcoming a stranger

Our dear Olivia has made small "baby steps" forward all week.  We are very pleased.  With that being said, our outings have increased and we are allowing visitors one at a time to meet her. Slow and steady.  Baby steps forward. However, we are still working on our sleeping patterns and changing her clothes.  Ugh...it's so frustrating that now that we have her and we can go out, she hates changing her outfits. If she could be in pjs all day she would. Mind you...that doesn't really sound all that bad.


Here is Alison our first visitor.  Olivia did great !  She laughed and was playful and it was a huge relief.  Okay who's next?

Stroller Outing Attempt #2

So after the Costco adventure, I tried again the next day. This time, I timed it right after her nap.  I left the snacks for the trip to Walmart as a bribe. hehehe.  When we got to Walmart, she was still a bit tired from her nap so I decided not to push it, and took out the stroller but carried her into Walmart. There in the front she was distracted by all the "crap" games and toys they have so I quickly put her in the stroller (and passed her a mum mum ;0) ).  When we got in she was curious about all the Easter displays so we walked through the aisles as I explained all the toys and candy to her.  Then I passed her a bag of chocolate eggs to play with.  She was great for the rest of the walk around the store.  I was so proud of her that I ummm....bought her a toy.  Sigh.  I know, I know. She'll put me in the poor house with all the "great moments" we will have. hahahah  Oh well...let a mother indulge.  :0p

One of the perks

Even though I put her in a stroller that she wasn't too fond of,  I got this....:0p 

And I dished it right back ...

These are the moments I will always treasure.  Me and my baby girl.

7 days on Forever

Today marks the first week we became a "forever family".  7 days ago Olivia came into our arms and our bond has been stronger ever since.  After a week of "cocooning" ourselves as a family, meaning limiting interactions from outside family and friends, we decided to venture out into the real world and get her acquainted with her surroundings beyond home.  I would like to say our first real outing was yesterday. 

Yesterday, we bundle her up and pack her in the car.  She wasn't sure what was happening, and why the layers of clothes.  We fiddled around with the carseat and then we were off to Costco.  Sure enough, 2 minutes in the drive, she feel asleep.  She was asleep when we transfered her into the stroller (which she is not her favourite), she was asleep when we walked around Costco, and she was asleep on the drive back.  In fact, she continued sleeping for another 15 minutes at home.  Sigh.  Not a big accomplishment.

But today..... Today I ventured out on my own to Chapters.  I asked my friend Heather if she wanted to join me for a "quick" coffee and outing.  Sooo I got Olivia ready (right after her nap), put her in the car and off we went.  Again, she wasn't sure about the carseat and drive.  I didn't bother putting  her in the stroller when we got there, she wouldn't want to sit in it anyways.  When we got there she was wide awake and curious.  She meet Heather, Carson, and Ainsley with a hesitant stare and we walked in. Of course though, the Starbucks at Chapters was being renovated. Thankfully, Heather picked up our drinks at the Starbucks across the street :0).

We walked towards the back of the store to the Kidzone.  There I took her jacket off, and let her explore. It was fanatastic. She was amused to watch the other kids. Carson was gentle as ever.  She played along side of the kids at the train table, and enjoyed playing in the toy kitchen (which she dutifully stuck those toys in her mouth..ugh).  Anyways...all in all a very successful outing. Moving slowly, but positively.  Next time I will use the stroller.

Oopps...forgot to mention. While she was playing, she kind of slipped and banged her chubby adorable cheeks on the edge of a toy.  Yikess...She let out one of those silent screams and it only lasted 30 secs and she was fine.  That's our girl!  She's an "Irongirl" Martin would say. 

Pics Update

Ok, ok, after multiple request, here's a few of our favorites!!!! Olivia's first week-end home!...
enjoy!

Playing...really early in the mornin!!!

First Bath!

Putting Papa to sleep!

Some fun time alone..well supervised of course

Is dinner ready yet?

cruising around!