Brought to you by the Letter "F"

I thought this would be a fun game to play when I saw it on another Korean adoption blog... Our Promised Son.
Here are the rules...If you want to play, leave a comment on this post letting me know, and I’ll assign you a letter. You write about ten things you love that begin with your assigned letter, and post it at your place. When people comment on your list, you give them a letter, and the chain continues on and on!

Forgiven. I am so thankful that I am forgiven. For it is by His grace which we are saved.

Frosty. It is very very frosty outside here. Yesterday it rained literally all day long and most of the night as well. Last night it all froze. SO we're stuck inside on a cold frosty day.

Fireplace. We usually have a pretty good fire going on cold days like today. Not yet today though. Brent's not awake yet and I'm not going outside to get wood! But soon we will have a toasty fire in the fireplace.

Four. The number of unassisted steps that Paxton has taken. He is definitely my earliest walker. He usually only takes these steps when Brent or I provoke him, but yesterday he started letting go of the couch and venturing out on his own.

Fox News. The only worthy news station.

Frisky dogs. We have two really great dogs. So great in fact that this morning while being really frisky, they found out the cats were in the sun room and attacked one of them. In the process, knocking over two plants and breaking one of the flower pots. So now today I need to go outside and clean up all the glass and dirt.

Fingernail issues. In the winter I have really dry hands. Unfortunately my fingers suffer the most with horrible cuticle problems. I can't wait for better weather to be here, so my fingers can recover.

Food from La Huerta. I love Mexican food. I could eat it most every day. Our local Mexican Restaurant is great. They have great fajitas, their chimichangas are to die for, and I haven't eaten there in two weeks and it's getting to me! We usually eat there on Sunday nights with friends from church, but last week was movie night and we ended up coming home instead of watching the movie. So I missed my weekly La Huerta fix. The kids have even given it a new name of "chips & salsa" and most people know that when they hear this where we're going to eat!

wallFlowers. Paxton is obssesed with my one wallflower in the house. He gets into trouble for pulling it out many times a day. It's not even in a noticeable place. He had to search it out to find it. I think that's where he knows the word "no" from!

Fussy. Is what Paxton is right now, so I have to go!

Ice Day

Today we have one kiddo home from school and the other in school! Xavier is out of school b/c of the ice on the roads and trees and pretty much everywhere! Dover has a lot more rural areas to pick up than Russellville, b/c Russellville has school today so we took Naia in! We pay for her preschool, so if the doors are open, she will be there! So Xavier is staying home with me and Paxton today. Brent is also home until around 3. He's working a weird shift and works 3-12 this week.

We have a cozy fire going and are all in comfy clothes(xavier still in pj's) and we're just hanging out today! The kids had two ice/snow days while we were in Korea last month, so this makes 3 make up days at the end of the year. yuck.

Paxton has been watching our cats out in the sunroom the past two days. We don't typically let them in there, but with it being so cold, we do. He sits at the door and watches them and they sit there are play with him and paw at him. Too cute. I'll try and get a picture up later. He loves the dogs as well, but they're a little too high energy for him to get too close too! I guess cats through the glass door will have to do for now!

Movie Night & Staff Meeting

Today we had a staff meeting at church. I really enjoy going to them to see what everyone has planned for the next 6 months or so. We have some really neat things coming up. Brent and I are planning our Valentine's Banquet. We can't wait! It's always a lot of fun. We don't have as many people signed up as in the past, but even with just a few, it will be tons of fun!

Brent has started working a weird shift again for the next 5 months or so. Not fun. Tonight started the weird shift. After the staff meeting we were having movie night at church, but since Paxton sat through the staff meeting fairly well behaved, we weren't going to stay since Brent would be gone and I wouldn't get to watch the movie anyways. SO the kids and I came home and we're watching Tom & Jerry for our movie night. I love it. We're all in our pj's. We've had dinner. And hopefully the kids will all be in bed in the next 30 mintues or so!

A lady from church made Paxton a beautiful quilt. It's embroidered with a little kid's prayer in each block. It's so precious. I'll try and post a picture of it later. It's so sweet. Jean has become a good friend lately. Her granddaughter is in my 1 year old SS class. She has custody of H and we have gotten to know each other pretty well the past few months or so. God has blessed us with the kindest people in our church. They have all prayed for us throughout the entire adoption process and are still showing such love and support to us. She just loves Paxton as well.

one month ago...

One month ago today Paxton was ours forever. We left early from Itaweon market in Seoul. We took the subway back to Eastern and looked for a flower shop to get for his foster mother. We finally found some and went back upstairs to our room for just a few mintues. We were supposed to meet Ms. Ahn in the lobby at 3. We got there about 2:45 b/c the times we had met before she had been early. She wasn't there yet. So we waited. Finally in she comes. Of course you couldn't see him b/c he was under her coat on her back. It is a moment I'll never forget. She came in and unwrapped him and handed him to us. We talked for a few moments. She played with him in the floor. She gave us a few of his things and a few instructions. We took several pictures and just visited in the lobby for a little bit longer. After a while the social worker there, said take him to the elevator, it's time to go. So we got all of our things together. Mrs. Ahn gave me a hug goodbye and Paxton a kiss and walked away. As she walked away I could see tears in her eyes. She loved him very much. He was very attached to her. And that was it. We got into the elevator and went to our room and just hugged together thanking God for the precious gift He had given to us.

Prayers for everyone traveling home this week. In a month, you'll be remembering that it was only a month ago that your precious ones came into your homes! I can't wait to read all about it!

9 months old today

Today Paxton is 9 months old. He's been quite the stinker today too. He didn't sleep well last night. Then today he's been in a weird mood. He fell today and has a little bruise on his forehead. Today we've also been home for 4 weeks.

Some fun things for us to remember about him at this time
-loves the computer! if you get it out he races over to try and push the buttons.
-is in training with the other two kids to become a jedi knight. he loves to play with our light sabers. the kids, especially xavier, are really into star wars right now, so playing light sabers/star wars is a regular occurance in our house.
-he has four teeth with about two to four more on the way. he has bitten brent once on the shoulder and left a mark!
-still eats pretty much everything. including whatever he can find on the floor! his favorites right now are moss from the wood for the fireplace and the crumbs he finds underneath the bar stools where the kids eat! he loves cheerios, and most any other foods that you give him.
-he stands on his tip toes to try and reach things on top of the end table. mainly the remote!
-still crawls like a crab! all of the left leg on his pants is slightly dirty b/c of the way he drags it when he crawls.
-babbles dada, mama, baba, nanana. pretty much he says daddy, and no. those are his favorites and i think some of the times he's using them correctly!

We love this little boy so much. We are so happy that he's here with us on this day. Right now he's learning to use his walker. I've tried all day to get him to stand up and walk behind it, but he was way to distracted by the front to do it. Brent comes home and the first time he tries it, the kid just does it. Can you say "Daddy's boy?"!

Isn't it crazy how sometimes just getting in the shower feels like such an accomplishment?! Today I've felt that way. I couldn't wait for naptime so that I could get in the shower.

Today I've had a bit of a cranky kiddo. He wants me around all the time. He has wanted to be held all day today. I think he's cutting two more teeth. So it's been a fun day around here today. I even had plans to go out of town today to return a gift for Xavier, but not with fussy pants. Maybe tomorrow. We'll see.

I can't help but think of all the families traveling to Korea this week. Sunny is on a plane somewhere over the US right now. I remember that long gruelling flight. It seemed like it would never end. But to look back on it now, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I know that she is having the most amazing trip already. It's so crazy to think we've been home almost a month already. Looking at the precious little boy (finally playing in the floor alone) in front of me, I can't imagine our lives without him.

These three kiddos are our world.

Our first sleepover

Xavier had his first sleepover at our house this weekend. Two little boys from his school stayed the night for his birthday, which was in December. I think they had a good time, even though they were heathens most of the night! They got too loud at about 10 so we made them lay down. Well that didn't really work. Finally about 11:30 or so, they went to sleep! I have a friend that has four boys and I had a short glimpse into her life Friday night! They were good, just LOUD!

Paxton is doing really great. He's eating wonderfully. He eats most anything we give him. Still struggling feeding him breakfast stuff he likes, other than malt o meal or oatmeal, but other than that he eats like a dream! If I had time I'd make him malt o meal or oatmeal every morning, but I don't always have time to do that! He's started sleeping on a decent schedule as well! Thanks for all the suggestions from the last post. Some were really helpful. He's finally going down good anywhere from 8-9 and then getting up for a bottle at 12:30ish and another at 5. This seems to be taking a step back, but it's what he needs right now, so we're managing! Right now he's sitting in his high chair eating cheerios. We just started giving them to him! Not sure why! He does love them though, and they're something different than a puff!

Church went really well again today. He cried and started chasing me when he thought I was going to leave the room. I wasn't, I just got up to walk across the room and he started crawling towards me! One of these days I'm going to learn how to post video of him crawling! It's pretty funny. He doesn't really crawl, just more or less scoots himself across the floor!

Tomorrow we'll have been home for three weeks. It seems like he's always been here with us. I know it's cliche' to say that, but it's so true! He's just fit into our family so perfect.

Paxton eating something! Not sure what it is, but the boy would eat constantly if we would let him!This is him crawling. Notice neither of his knees is touching the ground. It's pretty funny to see!

I think I may have spoken too soon...

So sleep is alluding Paxton. Not all night, thank goodness, but until about 1 or 2 a.m. he is just fussy and can't get fixed. Needless to say, I'm a little tired! Any suggestions on how to teach him to soothe himself back to sleep? If he coughs too hard and wakes himself up, he starts crying b/c he seriously has no idea how to put himself back to sleep. It's pretty trying right now, to not get frustrated. I've been advised that he hasn't been home long enough to let him cry it out, but I was never any good at that anyways, so I'm sure it wouldn't have worked!

Today started back to some sense of normalcy in our house! Xavier went back to school and Brent actually went back to work! Tomorrow Naia goes back to school as well. It will be a quiet house with just Paxton around. It's weird that I never thought the house would be quiet with just one child at home before we left and I was home alone three days a week! Both of our kids really thrive in a routine house, so we keep things as routine as possible, hopefully this will also help Paxton adjust more as well. He is eating great though! The child eats more than either of the other two kids together! When he gets up, his little belly is so hard! Enjoy some more pictures!

Sleeping

Paxton is finally sleeping through the night (knock on wood!)! We've been putting him to bed anywhere from 8:30-9:30. He sleeps until around 4-4:30 and takes a bottle and goes back to sleep and sleeps until about 7. It's been a semi-long road to this outcome! We started last week by only letting him have short naps during the day. We started out only letting him sleep about 30 minutes in the morning and a long noon time nap. Then he got another nap in the evening at first. Now that things are getting back to normal though, he's only taking one nap at noon time then another in the late afternoon/evening. But only 30 minutes or so in the evening. We've also tried to get him outside in the natural light as much as possible, even if for just a few minutes.

Paxton is the happiest baby! He is starting to play in the floor while Brent or I sit up on the couch or chair. He still doesn't like to be in a room alone even if just for a minute. He is eating all the toddler foods in the baby food department. He loves him spinach and cheese ravioli bites. He also LOVES the little puffs! He could eat those all day if we let him. He loves his bathtime. Naia loves getting to take a bath with him. They mostly just argue over who is going to get the two toys we have in there, but I think they both enjoy it! Xavier is starting to help us get him out of things! He can pick him up and move him short distances if necessary.

We had a 'really' exciting new year's eve! We had some good friends over and we played Wii, Apples to Apples and Sequence. They left at 10:30 and then we put Naia and Paxton to bed then, and I went to bed. Brent stayed up and played Wii, until it was time to get Xavier from his church New Year's Eve party at 1 a.m.! What a night! We had a busy day yesterday as well, and today didn't get much rest either. Hopefully tomorrow we'll get a good nap!

And just on a side note. On Christmas day Naia was talking about her new Princess kitchen. It has Cinderella on it. She was asking me why it didn't have Cinderella's Mary God's mother with it. At first I didn't understand what she was talking about, but when I did I couldn't stop laughing! Cinderella didn't have a fairy godmother, she had Mary God's Mother!!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: In all of these pictures, just disregard the fact that Brent & I look like death from sleep deprivation!