Eee Ree Wah

This is my new favorite phrase to say in Korean, it means 'come.' I know it's a phrase I will use while in Korea and probably when we are home with Gabe. 'Come here, Gabe' or 'Eee Ree Wah.'
In case you couldn't tell, I now have a Korean tutor, Jenny. She's a very good tutor that I work with well. Jenny is always cheering me on and is so proud when I get it right. I've had a few lessons, and so far we've covered basic phrases like 'hello' and 'goodbye', travel phrases and words like 'bathroom' and 'how much is it?', and phrases for Gabe like 'I love you.' Next up is trying to learn the alphabet, or Hangul and numbers.
I try to practice on my own with note cards, but I also get lots of practice at my nail salon. I'm very friendly with the Korean women there and they are very excited about Gabe. We have great fun when I practice my Korean with them and they practice their English with me. See, getting manicures can be educational too!

Jenny has her own Etsy Shop, Sweet Sara Designs. I love her stuff! She is so creative and makes very cute clips, bows, clothes, toys and other baby/toddler items. She can personalize items for you, and, for those mamas of Korean babies, she obviously could do something cute using Hangul or Korean words and images. Check it out!

Let's Learn about Korea on Tuesday-Lesson #24

There a lots of places to shop in Seoul, but the markets are some of the most popular places for both tourists and locals. Today's lesson is on 3 of the most frequented markets: Insadong, Namdaenum, and Itaewon.

Markets
Insadong
This seems to the be the favorite market of my friends that have traveled to Seoul. There are many arts and crafts at this market with a slightly higher quality. Lacquer boxes, art work, and celadon are some of the items bought here.

Namdaenum
This is a very bustling market open nearly around the clock filled with all sorts of goods including inexpensive clothing, housewares, fabrics, jewelry, accessories, toys, food, flowers, stationery and appliances. Many Koreans shop here as well as tourists. I know some people have gotten too overwhelmed to shop here, but it's a sight to see. The picture below was taken at Namdaenum:

Itaewon
Itaewon is located near a large US Army base, so this market tends to cater to westerners, specifically Americans. There are many souvenir-type items here and many of the vendors speak English. There is also a bustling night-life near this market.

I cannot wait to shop in Seoul! Some items on our list include: lacquer boxes, celadon pottery, silk robe, name scroll for Gabe, chopsticks for adults and kids, pj's, cd's and books in Korean, and art work to bring back and frame. Please let me know any other items you bought or recommend.

Only Fools Retire

You all remember when Papa Harry turned 100 in March and I said he was retiring? Well, that's not entirely true. That's right folks, Papa Harry has gotten himself a part-time job at East of Edens in Lincolnwood. Nothing is gonna stop him from working in the restaurant biz...not the building being razed for a park that housed Harry's Hot Dogs and certainly not turning 100. Click here for an article about his new gig, with a few good pics.
He's currently working about 3hrs/day about 3days/week. If you're in the neighborhood, stop in for a dog and say 'hello.'

Who Needs Their Gabe Fix?

We learned about our baby boy, one month ago today. So, I thought you were all due for another picture. Here's our little guy taken at 6 weeks...

If you'll notice, he has the EXACT same hair as his 5 month picture; spikey on top, wispy bang in front and long on the sides. The way they take this picture is by laying him on a board and slowly lifting him up. You'll notice his little hands are gripping the table and he has the 'hold on tight' look on his face.

Please ignore the 'hearts' on his pj bottoms.

Let's Learn about Korea on Tuesday-Lesson #23

Naming a child in Korea follows a basic formula, family name first then the given name. There are also very elaborate naming processes with the family, but that is way too complicated to cover here.

Names
The most common Korean family names are Kim, Lee (Yi, Rhee), Park (Pak), Choi (Cho), Jung (Jeong, Chung, Cheong) with Kim, Lee, and Park making up 45% of all Korean family names. There are other Korean family names but as you can see Kim, Lee and Park are overwhelmingly the most common. More meaning is given to the given name, which comes next.
The given names are not so much 2 separate names, but one name with two words/names. These names are chosen mainly for their meaning and sound together. For example, Gabe's given name is Yeong Min (pronounced Young Min), which means brilliant and wise. One would never interchange those 2 given names or use one without the other. Just like if your name was Mary Pat, you would not be called 'Mary' or 'Pat' or 'Pat Mary.' Some people do hyphenate the Korean name or smush it together to make it easier for Americans to pronounce and read, since the original intent of the name is to be said as one name.

Legals Have Arrived!

We have completed another step to bring Gabe home...his legal documents from Korea have arrived! This is a pretty big step to be crossed off the list. The legals include 'official' paperwork that our government needs to start processing the documents that allow him entry to the United States.
The legals will now be sent to DCFS and Immigration (CIS). We need approval from them both along with the proper documents to move on. It should be about 6 weeks (end of June) until we get those 2 documents.

Happy Friday!!

Lucky

The past 3 weeks I have had a range of emotions, but one that keeps coming up is that I feel we are incredibly lucky.

Lucky that we were led to grow our family in this way.

Lucky that we've been given the opportunity to parent this baby.

Lucky that we have a special bond with a family across the globe who loves Gabe as much as we do.

Lucky that so many people already love our son.

Lucky that Gabe is being cared for and loved in a home when we cannot be there.

Lucky that Korea will be a part of our lives forever.

Lucky that fertility treatment didn't work.

Lucky to have met such amazing people in real life and Internet life along the whole path to parenthood.

Lucky we have family and friends that not only support us and Gabe, but embrace and love us deeply.


Lucky to be able to call Gabe our son.

Let's Learn about Korea on Tuesday-Lesson #22

Today's lesson is on one of the most popular tourist destinations in Seoul.

Gyeongbok Palace
Built in 1395 (!!) by the Joseon Dynasty as their primary residence, this palace remained the main seat of power for Korean kings throughout much of history. The main gate separates Gyeongbok Palace from one of the busiest areas of northern Seoul. The palace was destroyed during the Japanese invasion of 1592 and left in ruins for over 250 years. Starting in 1865, it was rebuilt to its original grandeur. The website for the palace is pretty cool and gives you a nice visual of the complex.


On the grounds of the palace is another popular destination, the National Folk Museum. The museum was actually established by the US Military Government in 1945. The museum has three exhibition halls which illustrate 'The History of the Korean People' from pre-historic times to the end of the Joseon Dynasty in 1910, 'The Lifestyle of the Korean People', and 'The Lifecycle of a Korean from Birth to Death'. It also houses a children's museum and an outdoor exhibition.

Gabe is 6 months Today

Our precious little baby turns 6 months old today. He's heavy on my mind this Mother's Day. I hope our sweet baby is having a wonderful day surrounded by love. I'm sad he's not with us, but every day older he gets, the closer we get to bringing him home!

Summer 2009

I mentioned that we hope to travel to Korea in August to bring Gabe home. The agency tells us 3-5 months, the average seems to be about 4 months, which would be late August. You may wonder...why so long? As usual, we need to wait on many people (mostly government agencies) in both the United States and Korea to do their job as quickly as possible, which isn't always that fast. It really depends on how many requests they have, if they have all our paperwork, how staffed they are, and a little luck. The next step is Gabe's 'legals' from Korea. This is the paperwork needed to start processing approval to bring him here. They're all big steps, but this is a pretty big one because nothing else can start until we get these documents. We should have them by the end of the month.
Dave and I are going to try to enjoy this summer to the fullest. I know I'll get anxious at times about the wait to travel, but we really want to enjoy these last few months as a couple. I've never been so excited for summer to start, or end, all at the same time!

***My friend Sue met her son today! I'm so happy for her and can't imagine that moment. She did report that Gabe's care package has been delivered and the social workers at Eastern knew just who it was for. I feel a little closer to him today***

Let's Learn about Korea on Tuesday-Lesson #21

May is the 'harmony month' in Korea, since there are many special days giving love and thanks to others. Today is a special holiday in harmony month.

Children's Day
Children's Day has been celebrated every May 5, since 1923. It is a national holiday and most businesses are closed, except those catering to kids. Children spend quality time with their parents by having a fun time! The holiday is meant to highlight the dignity of children and their need for love, care, and respect. It is also a day to honor adults that have contributed to improving the lives of children. Sounds worthy of a national holiday to me.

It comforts me to know that Gabe and his foster family are probably having a fun day!

To Korea with Love

One of my bloggy friends, Sue, should get her call to travel to Korea any day now to bring home her son, Cohen. She and her husband have graciously offered to bring a care package for Gabe. My mom and I went shopping and this is what we are sending:

(3 onesies, shorts, a zip-up sweatshirt, 6 pairs of socks, Kiehl's lotion and a note for his foster mother, 2 disposable cameras)

(a hooded terrycloth jumper, photo album with our pics, a soft blanket)

Here's how we chose what we did. My mom and I loved the "Cool Dude" onesie because Gabe looks like a 'cool dude' and we know he looks good in yellow. Papa Harry does not want little Gabe to get cold, so the sweatshirt is from him. But it is also known to get hot late in the summer, so I thought the terry cloth jumper would keep Gabe cool in July/August. My mother-in-law also included a soft stuffed animal. It makes the package that more special to have family and friends contributing. I hope Gabe and his foster mother enjoy the items we sent.