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!

The Entertainer

Hello everyone!  It's been awhile since I written anything. We've been kind of busy.  Life has turned into a wonderful roller coaster and the house is upside down.  We have toys and Cheerios everywhere.  Not to mention the infamous "Baby Mummums"!  It's been a great time of "firsts" for Olivia and as a family since we came back.  Today was the first day that I stayed with Olivia on my own (well not really, Martin was there for part of the morning).  This is how the day went...

3:00am - Woke up to her laughing and clapping of hands.  She came out of some nice dream. hahahah  And when I looked down to see if I should pick her up, there was no way she was going to go back to sleep. So I just let her sing and play until she got bored and I picked her up.  Daddy woke up too.  We went downstairs to get a bottle ready and we had a quiet moment.

5:00-5:45 - Nap (Ugh...I was sooo tired)

6:00 - Breakfast and Play (with mommy lying down on the floor).  We put Olivia in the Jolly Jumper and Daddy did his computrainer.

9:00-9:45 - Nap (Yesterday, it lasted till 1pm!)

Snack, Lunch

2:45 - 3:45 - Nap (just becuase we went outside for a walk and she fell asleep in the Beco)

Snack, Dinner (which she fell asleep while we were feeding her).

6:45pm - Bedtime  (Ya, she'll wake up in the middle of the night starving)

All through the day, Olivia has continued to put a smile on our faces.  She laughs, she screams, and she cries, but she constantly amuses us with her fascination with everything. She bops when she play with her toys that makes music.  With the walker, she's zipping around corners. She's a "happy-go-lucky" spirit and it's soo entertaining.

Then I wonder....

We are totally exhausted too.  How much entertaining are we doing?  Today I've bounced around, screamed and made silly noises with my voices and body.  I've zipped around corners and play games. I've sung dozens of songs to her while changing her diapers, feeding, and playing with her.

Now...who's the entertainer?

Looking back pics!!

here's a few pics back of our first day as a forever family, in Seoul.

mommy play!

first bath!!!ouf! that went well!!! she loves water!

mommy and daddy the morning after day 1...we made it!!

Seoul Airport after Play!

                             on the plane...right before that other baby woke Olivia up!!!!

We are HOME!!! Welcome to Ottawa Olivia!

On our way home - The Airport

We arrived at the airport, and Olivia knew. She quickly woke up and we searched for the check in counter.  It was so busy.  Martin walked around with Olivia as we were waiting in line. Thank goodness we bought an umbrella stroller.  As we got to the counter, the lady informed us.  NO more bassinets on the plane. The plane was full.  Hmm...that should be interesting.

We checked in and walked through the security check.  Then it was time for dinner.  We had some dinner.  Then at the airport we let Olivia let loose in the kid's area.  Let's tire her out before she gets on the plane.  She had a great time rolling around and playing with her toys.  She would roll from one end to the other side.  It was funny because as a new parent they protective part kicked in. There were kids running around and screaming.  I formed a somewhat a barrier so they kids don't topple over her.  Martin was ready to scold the other kids to be careful. hahahha

Then it was time to board.  12 hours and 40 minutes.   Well what can I say?  The flight was interesting.  It started off really well.  We got her distracted. She had some of her bottle (I practically forced it because I was so worried about her ears, but she was fine.)  Then we took out the toys and we played. Thankfully, the flight attendant had moved the person who was supposed to be in our row to another seat, so we had some space.  THANK YOU!   We had some dinner and then lights out. 

She wanted to go to bed, but again was not familiar with her surroundings so she put up a bit of a fuss.  Finally she went down. We put her in the middle of us, and we were able to take a "short" nap.  Another mother walked by with her fussy screaming baby...Olivia woke up.  Argh! She was startled and was unconsolable. I had to move to the middle section where the attendants were working. Poor thing.  The flight attendants tried as well, but it was no help. Actually it made it worse. Sigh.  What made it more difficult was the flight attendents who were really trying to help and were fabulous wanted to pick her up and take care of her.  That wasn't going to happen.  I felt bad because they only wanted to help me and Olivia.  They saw that both of us were really tired, but I needed to take care of Olivia.  She needed me to be the one to hold her. This went on for a good 45 minutes.  Finally I found a corner where was no distraction and she fell asleep.  Went back to our seat sand she slept in my arms for about another hour or two.    However, she would occasionally wake up and had to go straight to the back of the plane to console her.  In the last 3 hours of the trip, she was amazing.  Laughing and playing. We finally landed in Toronto.  We were in Canada.  Phew.

We happily went through customs and immigration.  With a final stamp, Olivia was now a Canadian resident.  Thursday, February 25th, 2010.  We got a "Welcome to Canada" package and we were on our way.

We saw Lola and Lolo, and Tita Melissa, Tita Rowie and Ethan at the airport.  She was in a super good mood.  Unfortunately, our baggage made us more delayed and the ticketing at Terminal 1 was infuriating.  They only got to see her for about 10 minutes.  Oh well...they'll have more time with her later.  We got through to our gate finally. Everyone was tired.  She had a good flight back and it was only when we landed and waiting on the tarmac for 45 minutes that she got fussy.  We can only imagine how tired she was.  We didn't even get to get the "Ottawa photo" in the airport because of the delay.  Anyways...

We finally got our baggage (sans walker) and put on her snowsuit.  We went to the car, strapped her in and we were on our way home.  Exhausted, grumpy, hungry, and absolutely happy.  She's really home.  She's really ours.  We're really parents.

Parenthood - Part 2

Okay..went to go check up on her and she's still sleeping. We are going on 1 hour and a half nap.  Poor thing. Ugh..I hope she will be able to sleep on the plane. ANyways...I'll worry about that later.  Right now, we are all packed. Martin and M. Savard went to TOYSRUS. ahhahaha  We realized that we are missing a couple of toys.  Also, we are going to buy one of those walker thingys and we'll see if Martin comes back with another umbrella stroller. hahahhaha

Okay...

Sooo..we said our heartbreaking heart-aching goodbyes.  Then she was ours. We walked back to the apartment and stared our family life together.  FM said that she needed a nap so we got some formula ready.  Actually there were a few attempts at it. While she was being distracted I tried to do the formula.  Too hot. Had to wait.  Slowly, Olivia was more aware that this was a different apartment from what she's used to.  Then she began to look left and right. Where was Omma?  Then the tears. We tried to distract her again with snacks (as bribes ahhah) and toys.  Then...screams. She was not a happy camper.  We carried her and rocked her, nothing was going to comfort her.  Bottle was ready...maybe she was hungry?  She refused.  She refused to do anything with us except cry.  It really was sad. But thank goodness Martin and I expected it. We knew this was going to be hard for her. We checked with each other.  "Are you okay?"  "Yup... you?"  "Yup".  She had such an attachment with the foster family and on top of that she was weary of strangers (maybe because of the doctor visits?).  The crying and screaming lasted for about 1 hour.  We were going to be okay.

We took Ms. Bang's advice and gave her a bath. She loved it. She loves water. Martin is happy about that :0).  The bath lasted about 15 minutes.  She was fighting her exhaustion and finally she let go.  Then she went for a nap. Which of course didn't last long. Maybe 30 minutes.  We tried her on the formula, she didn't take it.  Ugh..what were we doing wrong.

Thank goodness we went to one of those Adopttalk workshops that said, that this was Olivia's was of being in distress and anxious.  All kids go through it. Be patient.  Go with the flow.  Okayyyyyy.  Sure enough she played for a bit sitting on the couch, laughing, and babbling.  Her nose was runny, and she was gnawing on the toys. Sigh....she's teething.  This should be interesting.  She did eventually eat and had a bottle of formula.  Grandparents thankfully brought over dinner because we didn't have a chance to get out.  Pizza and McDonalds. Take out is great!

Because of total exhaustion, our little angel fell asleep. A wonderful 11 - 6:45 hour sleep.  She did wake up at around for a bottle, but had no problems going back to bed.  She woke up in a better mood.  She had some cereal and a bottle.  YAY!  After playing for a bit, she went down for a nap at around 9. - 12.   Daddy went with Grandpapa to Lotte World to buy more toys for a trip.  (Daddy came back home with more than toys...sigh).  Grandmama came over to the apartment to keep me company while I packed and waited for her to wake up.  (Started to blog this while she was sleeping).  I guess that's what I have to do now on. hahaha.  Do my stuff while she's sleeping.

Daddy came home and Olivia woke up around 1ish. She had a great lunch.  Grandparents came back with lunch. McDonalds.  YAY!  Did I mention that they were awesome.  After our lunch, we started to get ready and Olivia went down for a nap at around 3.  Yikes...our taxi was to come at around 4.  What can you do? 

Olivia woke up at around 3:30. Well..we kind of made some noise so that she would wake up.  Not a great decision.  We tried to make it up to her by giving her a bath.  Then we changed her to get ready.  Not really happy.  But we made it downstairs. She was being really fussy, and I think it's because we kind of rushed her out of there.   Ms. Bang was downstairs waiting for us to say good bye.  It's too bad she didn't see Olivia in her better moods.    Olivia's teeth were bothering her and she didn't like being in the Beco.

We said our goodbyes. I think she was worried, but I will email her and give her an update to tell her that she is settling well.  Once in the car, Olivia fell asleep on the way to the airport.  Sigh.  We were going home.

Marty's take....quick update

Hey Everyone, both of my girlfriends are sleeping now, and taking 5 minutes of my work day to give you a brief update.
WE ARE BACK HOME!!!!!!!!
The return trip was quite an ordeal, ...meaning the Toronto-Ottawa leg...took us 6 hours before getting home last night at 3AM instead of 11. (+lost of luggage)
I am always amaze, how, when there is a little snow, how unprepared city's and airport are...like we are living in California...anyway!!!

Mel should be able to be back on-line to go over the last couple of days...(updates, do's and don't  and lesson learned for all of our friend that are awaiting to visit Korea in the next few months. )

Mel is so awesome!!!! and I think Olivia learned that to!
Olivia is doing good...a little bit confuse sometime of her surrounding, but that smile is even better live!
She is eating well, (you shouldn't be surprise!! haha) extremely playful, and quite a flirt!..

Welcome to Parenthood! Part 1

Well...yesterday was our "gotcha" day.  Couldn't write yesterday because..holy moly. What a day!  Olivia is sleeping now. She went to bed around 10:ish and woke up around 6:00am. Then she down for an extra long nap.  What an exhausting day AND night for all us, I"m not surprised that she's sleeping this long. Martin keeps telling me to check if she's breathing. hahahahh

Anyways..at the bottom is a recount of yesterday's "process".


In the morning, we woke up early (as usual) and went for a walk again to get mentally prepared for the day.  We were super excited but anxious to see how Olivia holds up from the separation from her foster family.  We came back to the apartment and got ready around 9:15ish.  Collected the grandparents at 9:30 from their room.  I am sure that Ms.Bang had said 10:40, 1st floor of the guest house.  But when we got downstairs, no Ms. Bang so they called her down.  She arrived quickly as her office is only next door. She told us that Olivia and foster family were already in next door. But she wanted to bring us to where Olivia was born. Upstairs on the 3rd floor was the "baby reception center".  Here was the nursery Olivia was placed soon after she was born.  We quietly entered the baby nursery to find a room of newborns on one side and infants on the other.  The nurses were all going around their cribs either feeing, changing diapers, or playing. It was such a special place.  Then, Ms. Bang asked if we were ready.  We headed back downstairs and went across to the building.  When we walked into the building there was foster mother (FM) and foster dad waiting in the lobby. There was our little Olivia wondering what the heck was going on.  Little did she know that this would be the last time she would see her foster family and she would be part of our family from now on.  Breathe.

Ms. Bang ordered them to go see the doctor in the office for a check up and final report and we preceded upstairs to wait for them.  Upstairs she took us to a room and handed all the paper work that needed to be done.  She handed us a report of what she collected from the foster mother that day when we first met.  She handed us the immigration papers, visa, and passport (which is the cutest passport ever!).  Then in walked FM with Olivia.  She quickly set her down of the coffee table and we started to play with her.  FM had brought all the things she promised to us on that first day. Food, bottles, and snacks. She also gave back the things we gave Olivia at Christmas and she put in some of Olivia's favourite toys.  Then Ms. Bang asked us if there were any questions.  Nothing. I didn't know what else to say.  Ms. Bang then told us that IF she because really upset then Olivia would love to take baths.  She needed to sleep when she got to the apartment. I sensed her and FM distress about Olivia's situation.  They loved her so much and I think they anticipated the negative reaction when Olivia realizes that FM would not be there.  I'll tell you know...they were right.  They were right that Olivia would have a hard time.

Anyways..after the discussion, Ms. Bang introduced us to the director who handed us a small gift from the SWS. A small jewellery box.  Something to put in her memory box for sure.  We all gave hugs and then she said "It is time to go to the elevator". I heard about the dreaded elevator scene and it lived up to it's hype.  This was where we FM had to say her goodbyes to Olivia.  I carried her over to the elevator, passed Olivia to Martin and hugged and thanked FM. I waved to FD in the back (he was crying too).  We stepped into the elevator and the door closed and we watched FM crying and waving goodbye.  UGH.  Just thinking about it...ugh.

Marty's take....another early Morning

OK, this is it..today is Wednesday and in about 5 hour...well guess what!!!!
Tonight was actually the first night I was able to sleep a good 7 hours. I only remember going to bed with a smile in my face and waking up with the same smile.
...... how can I not... Life IS Wonderful!   < ------click

My 2 girlfriends!!!!

The Day We Met Our Little Girl!

Forever Family Day....This is a long one!

Well..needless to say..we didn’t really sleep the night before.  We actually were awake after only 6 hours of sleep.  We woke up about 4:30 and talked for a bit about what the day meant, our expectations (none), and our hopes.  We decided to get up and head down to Starbucks before waking up the grandparents.  I think we were just pretty anxious and the fresh air would help us get distracted.  We got our coffee and scoped out places to eat for breakfast.  We came back and got ready for breakfast and we all left to this cafe called Caffe Lucci.  Already by then my tummy was turning...3 more hours.

After breakfast we walked around a bit trying to figure out what was around the guest house area. Got some things for lunch because we knew 1:00 was around the corner and we didn’t want to be late.  Sooo..bought some bread and peanut butter ($9.00!) and headed back to the apartment to get ready.  I straightened my hair, we ironed the clothes thoroughly.  Wanted to look our very best.  We went to the grandparents room with the gifts in hand and gave them the camera and video then we went over to the SWS building beside the guesthouse at around 12:40 (a 1 minute walk from the guesthouse).

Of course...lunchtime (12:00 - 1:00).  We waited in the lobby.  Tried to watch a bit of the Olympics on the TV but couldn’t focus.  My tummy was not right.  My hands were shaking. We were trying to keep up a conversation to keep distracted but our eyes were on the clock. Every now and then we would see nurses carrying babies up and down the elevator. They were most likely going to the nursery in the hospital.  Can’t help thinking which nurse was the one who was taking care of Olivia when she was born. 

 Okay...12:50, let’s go ask for Ms. Bang of the SWS.  The lady directed us to the 7th floor of the hospital.  We squeezed into this tiny elevator not breathing.  Got off on our floor and on the left was the SWS office.  Immediately, Ms. Bang greeted us at the door.  I just wanted to run up to her and give her a big and thank her for all she’s done. But of course, that was not proper and so I shook her hand with both of my hands really hard.  She told us to have a seat and she would call for a taxi to bring us to the foster family’s house.  

The office wasn’t what I imagined.  It just looked  a room full of cubicles with social workers talking on the phone or on the computer.  On the other side of the room, were 2 rooms. The first room we recognized right away because it was the “photo” room.  This was the room where Olivia’s pictures and DVD came from.  We laughed as we recognized all the toys she was playing with in the DVD and pictures.  While we were waiting, we were ALL taking deep breathes. There were occasionally bursts of nervous laughter.  Martin gave the presents to the Ms. Bang and for the staff at SWS.  She must have been used to all the gift bags.  Oh well..they all deserve it. 

While we were waiting, Ms. Bang handed us a note from the foster mother.  A letter to Olivia’s parents.  There we read about how much love and care she had for Olivia, and she wished us the very best.  I was very touched about her devotion and love she had for Olivia.  When was the taxi coming?

Finally, I look up and see Ms. Bang put on her coat.  The taxi was here.  OH MY GOSH!

We hoped into this black minivan.  Again...deep breathes.  We hopped into the van and we were off. Ms. Bang reminded us that we have a 1 hour visit.  Plus..the 1 hour to get there. ugh.  The ride there was super quiet and super hot.  The day couldn’t have been more perfect. The sun was shining and it seemed like it was a beautiful spring day.  During the drive, we recognized some of the streets we have visited the day before.  I actually thought it might have been better to take the subway. hahahha  Finally we turned right off the street and went up a steep hill. This must be it.  We reached an apartment building that was on top of a hill and got off.  Breathe.  We got into another tiny elevator and Ms. Bang pressed the 2nd floor button.  We got out of the elevator and there it was.  Apartment 203.  She pressed the doorbell and the door opened.

As soon as the door opened we were greeted by many family members. hahaha  I recognized the foster mother right away from the pictures. She was tall and slim just like the photos.  She was wearing jeans and a yellow sweater.  There was foster grandmother too. I’m thinking she was the mother of the foster mother because they resembled each other.  Then....in a blink of an eye.  Olivia came strolling along with her walker just to see what all the commotion was about at the door.  I couldn’t believe it. There she was.  With her spiky asian hair. Drooling.  And somewhat curious and nervous about all these new people.  By this time, we were still outside the apartment, bowing in respect and greeting. 

We finally walked into the apartment, took our shoes off, and went to greet Olivia. She took a couple of steps back and because of the walker she went a feet back. hahahaha  Ms. Bang and foster mother just rolled her back closer.  She was anxious, but not so much that she would burst into tears.  Martin and I just gravitated towards her and everyone in the back just disappeared. There she was...just staring at us.  She wasn’t as massive as we thought. Her hair was definitely longer and she still had that curious look.  She was beautiful.  Our beautiful baby girl.  At that moment there was nobody there, it was just Olivia, Martin and I.

Although she seemed curious about Martin and I, she was constantly looking back to see where foster mother was.  Respectfully, she was in the kitchen with the rest of the family to give us our moment. We can’t thank her enough for giving us that space.  martin reached for her hand and then she flung it out of his reach.  Didn’t want to be touched just yet.  I took out a stuff animal to give to her and she wasn’t ready for that.  Tossed that on the couch. ahhahah  We continued to be in her space, talking to her and playing. She was definitely interested and I think she was thinking there was something familiar about our faces and voices.  At least that’s what I had hoped.  She would move back a step and then foster mother (FM) would push her back.  Every time she would get a little closer.  

FM(foster mother) got up and went to get some snacks for Olivia so we could feed her.  Yup...those melt-in-your-mouth balls again. The ones that I had seen in the video and thought were a choking hazard were in my hands and I was offering it to her. hahahah  Would she trust me to feed her?  Would she let me close enough to put it in her mouth?  And she then took them.  YAY!  First step of trust.  Feeding.  

She was starting to get a bit fussy and the FM gave her a plastic bag to play with.  I thought..hmmmm...that’s all she needs. A plastic bag to play with and she was happy. She was strong. I was yanking on the bag and pulling it and she was pulling it back.  hahahha   All this time while we were playing with her, Ms. Bang and FM were talking. I could see that Ms. Bang was asking her questions and she was writing them down. Thank goodness because I had brought my book of questions to ask but my main focus was Olivia. I didn’t want to waste time talking about routines. I want to play.  ;0)  But Ms. Bang was so wonderful and she took the initiative.

Then the moment.  Martin came right up to her face and kissed her.  She didn’t move back, she didn’t cry. She just stared into his eyes.  (ugh..i’m teary eyed just thinking about it).  Again and again Martin would come in close and kiss her or kiss her hand.  At one point she had her whole fist in his mouth. HAHAHAH.  I laughed and thought “Ugh...daddy’s little girl”.    From then on there was no doubt in my mind that everything was going to be okay.  We continued to play with her and when we tickled her she was laughing with glee.  It was hilarious.  In the back, FM and Ms. Bang kept looking back to see why she was laughing so hard, and I think for FM it was very reassuring for her to know that Olivia would be okay.  I truly felt like a mom the moment she smiled at me, as if saying “Hi mommy!  Finally you guys are here.”

The hour seemed to fly.  We were so wrapped up in Olivia’s world.  Thank goodness we had a camera person and video person to capture the moment so we can watch it over and over again.  We said our heart-felt thank-you’s to the family. We gave FM a big hug.  Foster dad was okay with a handshake.  :0)  I will be forever grateful that Olivia had these months with these wonderful people who took such good care of her.  The foster family had said that they were going to give us a memory stick all the pictures they took of Olivia while she was with them.  What gift!  We took pictures all together with the family and foster family.  What a moment.  We hugged and kissed Olivia and promised to see her on Wednesday.

We walked out of the apartment and Martin and I hugged each other so hard.  We looked at each other and laughed.  It was if we didn’t breathe the whole time we were inside.  This time I couldn’t breathe because I was so happy.  We went outside took a picture of the foster family home so she could remember this was her home too while she was in their care.

The ride home was so surreal.  We were so full of excitement and anticipation.  I was exhausted.  hahahah  It hit me all at once.  We played with her, we talked to her, we kissed her.   We were finally taking our daughter home.  We had millions of questions for Ms. Bang in the car ( well I did ) because I didn’t remember a thing she told me during the visit. ;0p  We got back to SWS and we set a time to pick her up. Wednesday, February 24 at 11:00.  This is when she would be finally in our care and we can start our lives.

We got to the apartment and Martin burst into tears. I fell to the couch.  It’s time.

Marty's take....eating my words!

Well, well, look at me trying to predict how Olivia would react a few hours before we meet her...well we didn't really have any expectations, but a lot of hope, not that her reaction would have changed anything anyways,  BUT WOW!!!!
We just took it slow and talked to her  as she observed us, and after a few minutes, started to walk.
(well she was on one of those walkers that are banned in Canada!!!!! which is too bad, since you really get a sense of her mood by the way she is moving , daring or suspicious.) going one step back 2 steps forward.
She finally pushed herself toward Melanie and starting interacting with her, to finally just wanting to talk and play!!!! few smooches and food playing with Daddy (hihihi) then Mel went for it...she pulled her out of her walker and start playing.....wait for it, wait for it...NO CRYING!!!!! just big laughs and drools!!!!!( as you can see on the picture!) anyway..Mel will go in details, but wow and wow again..
Before leaving as we where saying our goodbyes, I got the biggest smooch on my cheek, so much that even the foster mom and social worker got surprised and started to laugh.
As we walked out the door we got a few claps, huge smile and goodbye waves from our baby girl!

Play by play comments from Mel coming!

Words cannot express how we feel

Today, is a day we will never forget for the rest of our lives.  Tears of joy.  She's perfect in every way. We were destined to have her in our lives.  Her smile...ugh..her smile will light up the room.  Her laugh...will put a permanent grin on your face.  Day 1 on forever.