Friday, October 31, 2008

Ivy's first Halloween


Ivy dressed up as a tiger cub for Halloween! Here she is with her daddy, taking a break from passing out candy.




And here she is with a special friend from the neighborhood, who will certainly fill her in on the way we do things here on the East Side. Girls rock!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Does she take requests?

I promise (**promise, promise**), to not be a stage mother and push my daughter to perform, but this photo of Ivy displaying her many talents brings me great joy.  Ivy's friend, Lily, has played this same little piano and perhaps, someday, they will entertain us with a concert of adorable duets.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

I've got something to say!

blabble gleebly glogg blag
Blog.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Do you like my hat?

We finally received new photos of Ivy! She still is a little duckling and we'll be able to be with her when a lot of her hair grows in when she's home in Madison. She'll need some warm hats this winter! Fortunately, Ivy and I (and her Cousin A., Grandma B., Auntie Kersten and Tante Mimi) are hat fiends and I can't wait until we can all go shopping for hats together at Sacred Feather on State Street.

All of our official paperwork was sent to Korea on Thursday, October 16. This is an important step in bringing our baby home. Now all we're waiting for is her passport to be completed and processed in Seoul. Thanks to everyone who has been sending good thoughts - your positive energy and love is working!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Gratitude

How can I truly express my gratitude to Ivy's foster mother and foster father, the loving people who have cared for her for most of her 7 1/2 months?  We speak different languages and we've grown up on completely opposite curves of the globe, yet we're connected by our one baby girl.  Kevin and I are so grateful for this special couple and we hope that we've clearly told them, through translation, how we recognize that part of who Ivy grows up to be will be thanks to the loving care they provided during her early months.

Adoptive parents traditionally give gifts of thanks to their baby's foster parents when they travel to Korea to bring their child home.  Kevin and I want to make sure that our gifts are special and heartfelt.  And I cannot imagine more meaningful gifts than this gorgeous wooden bowl that my dad turned and this beautiful dresser scarf that my mother embroidered.  I recently listened to a podcast interview with Gary Snyder who said that every piece of art that we create is a gift for the entire world.  I think that this sentiment fittingly describes the art that my parents created for the loving people who have been caring for their granddaughter.  They created these pieces  in their home in western Wisconsin and are now sending their creations across the world.  Thanks, Mom and Dad, for sharing your talents with the dear people who love Ivy as much as we all do.  I imagine that these invaluable items will travel with us in our carry-on bags; not because I'm afraid that our checked luggage will be lost, but because I'll need them close to my heart during the long journey to Seoul.



Saturday, October 11, 2008

Preschool photographer

Ivy's 3-year-old cousin took this photo and I absolutely love it.  Ivy's grandpa and 5-year-old cousin look so happy and this photo is one of my favorite family shots.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Tia Lisa


Our dear friend Lisa recently spent a weekend with us.  She showered Ivy with sweet gifts of beautiful little outfits, wee plush toys and lots of love.  Lisa is a special friend and we can't wait until she and Ivy meet one another.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

First friends

Ivy has already has two little friends who are patiently waiting for her to come home. Her friend in the 1st photo, Kai, lives in Corning, NY, with his parents who have been writing songs about him since before he was born. Ivy's friend, Gus, in the 2nd photo, is brand new and lives with his mommies right here in Madison - he is the music in their life and I'm so thrilled that they've moved back to WI. I'm so happy for all of my friends who have become parents this year and I hope that Kevin and I have our little girl in our arms before the year comes to a close.





Friday, October 3, 2008

7 months old

Ivy turns 7 months old today.  She's always in our thoughts and today Kevin and I are trying to imagine the sound of her voice and thinking about how much she's changed since her referral photos were taken.  If we don't receive new photos soon I think that I'll go out of my mind.  Kevin & I celebrated Ivy's 7 months by purchasing an Ergo baby carrier and an adorable little dress that she'll wear when she's home in Madison.

We're making progress and earlier this week we received word from the state of WI telling us that all of our state pre-adoptive requirements have been met and that our documents have been forwarded to US Citizenship & Immigration Services for the next, giant, step in bringing Ivy home.  We don't know how long this next step will take, but when I told my friend Yvonne that we were at this point she, half-jokingly, said, "So... have you started packing?"  We know that we're going to be waiting for a while before we receive the travel call, but it's so reassuring to know that the wheels are turning and that we're continuing to move forward.  

We're really focusing on getting her bedroom ready and last night we pulled all the grown-up books out of the bookcases in her room and replaced them with board and picture books. We're also identifying potential images that Kevin is going to paint on canvases that we'll hang on the walls.

Thanks to everyone who has been sending their thoughts, wishes and prayers to Ivy. We're feeling the force of your love.