1. She’s so flexible, she can clap her feet together like most people clap their hands

2. She’s so tiny, you can slip her in the high chair without pulling out the tray

3. She is constantly interacting and attempting to build a relationship with us

4. She loves books

5. She has an unbelievably long attention span

6. She is thoughtful

7. She is a good listener

8. She eats whatever you’re eating

9. She is affectionate and loving, but doesn’t need to be held all the time

10. She doesn’t complain about my rice, even though it’s not very Asian

11. She will play kah-koong (Korean for peek-a-boo) for hours

12. She is learning one or two English words per day

13. She tries to make us laugh when she’s in trouble

14. She is a climber (crib, high chair, kitchen table, you get the idea…)

15. She smiles easily

16. She laughs when anyone else does

17. She likes to run around the house in her diaper

18. She embraces routines

19. She has rhythm and likes to bang

20. Two of her first English words were “Good girl!”

21. She puts her face in the water during a bath

22. She persists until she figures things out

23. She is patient

24. She is mesmerized by light

25. After one week, she finally allows her daddy to hold her — patient man

We arrived home safely with Sarang, whom we will gradually call Lily. She did a fantastic job on the flights, crying and fussing only a couple of times when she was sleepy. She seems to want to bond with us and initiates warm interaction frequently.

She continues to eat relatively well, if not a lot, and is willing to try whatever we offer her. Everything is a novelty to her and she seems to enjoy every minute of exploring her new surroundings.

Sarang warmed up to her sister about an hour after we were home and they get along famously. She continues to allow her brother to do more and more for her. She allowed him to hold her for several brief periods today.

We arrived home in time to attend the baccalaureate ceremony and college graduation of our son, Whitney, Jr. on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. It was a special time for our family to be together and we are overjoyed Sarang came home in time to be included.

Though we didn’t think it was possible, we love her more with each passing day.

We went back to SWS yesterday to purchase some Korean books and to pick up several items the foster mother had forgotten to include in Sarang’s things. She called for “Umma” when she realized where she was, and the director spoke to her in Korean, emphasizing over and over that I was her new Mommy now. I think this was an incredible blessing for Sarang to hear that confirmed again in her native language and from someone she trusted. Sarang has clearly been a favorite at the agency and they are so eager to see her do well. Whitney and I were relieved and pleased that we could walk into their office with Sarang happily resting in the baby carrier on my chest and later turn around and leave again with her saying “ppa ppai” (bye bye) to those she had grown to love with no tears. God is good.

She continues to allow me to comfort her and provide care and asks to be held often. She accepts care from Whitney, but will not allow him to comfort her yet. She is eating and drinking well and is already picking up English words. She plays and laughs and is quite a little techie. We were told her favorite toy is a cell phone, which is so true and she has already learned to pause and start her favorite Korean kiddie video on my laptop by pressing the space bar. She can also make it play again and again by pressing the right mouse click button. She is amazing.

Sarang has a reputation for fighting sleep that we have confirmed, but we are confident that even her sleeping habits will mellow and improve with time.

We couldn’t be happier. We feel this child was hand-picked by God to be ours and He has seen fit to provide for every detail in amazing and wonderful ways.

We pack up and head home with hearts full of the knowledge that we are blessed beyond measure…

Our God is amazing. He continues to awe us each new day with His provision. When we arrived to visit with Sarang and her foster parents at the agency, Sarang came to me and allowed me to hug her. She was much more responsive than yesterday and I had the idea she was somehow resigned to what lay ahead. The foster mother encouraged her to come to me and it seemed she might be ready to make the transition – much more so than yesterday.

Our visit was amazing. Hyejin had already written down every detail about Sarang’s routine, her medications, her meal and bedtime rituals, her likes and dislikes and everything imaginable to make Sarang’s transition easier. Whitney and I had brought a list of things we wanted to ask the foster mother and case worker, but when we scanned it, every single thing had already been covered. We were overwhelmed with God’s provision and the foster parents’ generosity. They had filled to overflowing more than two large bags of gifts and baby paraphernalia.

There were clothes, shoes, hats, toys, her favorite foods, a handmade scarf, a beautiful custom photo album with pictures chronicling the year she spent in their home, a Korean-English Bible, a tea set from a missionary in their church who’s been praying for Sarang since last summer, and a letter telling her about Jesus…

Words are inadequate to describe the experience of these loving foster parents, who have prayed over and cared for this child, to transfer her to our care in such a manner. The whole exchange was incredibly emotional. After the foster parents had a long and tearful good-bye with Sarang, the foster mother handed her to me. We said good-bye to them at the elevator and Sarang remained calm in my arms for at least ten minutes. I was absolutely amazed at her composure. But as we neared the hotel, Sarang began to cry and call for Umma (the Korean word for mama) gently at first, then more insistent. She cried hard and was even angry from time to time. Mercifully, she allowed me to comfort her and even laid her head on my shoulder and leaned into me. She cried for about 45 minutes, then fell asleep with her head on my shoulder.

After a short nap, her mood improved and we were able to feed her and give her a bath, which she loved. It is clear she is struggling with grief and yet she is trying to open up to us. As the evening wore on, she allowed me to put her down several times and was happier a little longer each time.

We were so relieved to see her smile and be playful, and I’m nearly sure she tried to say “Mommy” one or two times.

She’s sleeping peacefully as I write this.

She’s absolutely perfect! Everything we hoped for. Everything we imagined. And immeasurably more… 

It is Monday night in Korea. We were able to take it easy today and recover from the long flight and essentially losing a night. We dined early at Gang Nam Mok Jang, a Korean restaurant recommended by the agency. We had Bul-gokee, a traditional roasted beef with seasoning, rice, Kimchi (both staples at every meal), and pumpkin. The server grilled the beef on a gas grill in the middle of our small table as we watched.

There were multiple side dishes, mostly unrecognizable, but we were grateful for the square meal and the opportunity for a little cultural enlightenment.

Afterwards, we shopped a little without finding much and returned to the hotel to retire early. At least one of us retired early.

We have great expectations of the morrow when we finally get to meet the little sweetie who stole our hearts last summer. We are filled to bursting with anticipation. The plan is to walk over to the Social Welfare Society in the morning to meet Sarang’s caseworker, Hyejin. We hope to tour the Baby’s Reception Home, the orphanage where Sarang spent the first 8 months of her life. The three of us will then go together with Sarang and her foster mother to a pre-scheduled appointment with Sarang’s pediatrician. This is an unusual privilege and one we cherish, since there are specific questions we want to ask about her medication, etc. After the doctor’s appointment, we’ll spend an hour or so together with Sarang, the foster mother, and Hyejin tomorrow afternoon.

A second visit is planned for Wednesday. We expect to get to keep Sarang either Wednesday or Thursday, depending on how things go. The Korean adoption agency is very eager for Sarang to make the adjustment slowly. Hyejin has told us Sarang is shy of strangers, so there is much need for God to move in her heart in a special way. This is a critical part in the process and we need a miracle to turn her heart toward us. But I am confident of this very thing, that He who started the work will be faithful to compete it. (paraphrased from Philippians 1:6)

We arrived safely at the Incheon International Airport at 5:30 pm on Sunday, Mother’s Day. God is good and His grace is amazing. We lay our heads down tonight in a big, comfy bed with light hearts, feeling immeasurably blessed and beyond eager to see what God has in store for us this week. Our prayer is that all those concerned with Sarang’s transition also have a light heart and joyful, expectant spirit in anticipation of our visits in the foster parents’ home and the ultimate transition into our custody.