Cousins!

Our families joined together this past weekend for a 'toddler shower' for Evan.  It was amazing, Evan did so well! A real prince charming, a bit of a flirt in fact.  It was so fun to have so many cousins all together.  When everyone did first meet it did have a north meets south feeling!  My sister, Rach and her family traveled from Houston, Texas; Val and her family from Fayetteville AR; and my parents from Monett, MO. And the Freudenburg/Day family was from all other Minnesota and Wisconsin!  I wish I had more photos of the actual shower but as you can imagine I was a little preoccupied so until I hunt some down I have posted other photos of the weekend!

Let me assure you we do clothe him, but he is so messy with yogurt/breakfast we wanted to make sure he was done eating! He is playing cars with his cousin, Hudson (also Korean born)

Hudson and Evan sharing some Captain Crunch (notice Evan isn't going to let go of the car even for breakfast!)

It was sooooo HOT!  The kids had left the pool for the driveway toys (that is why the no shirts)

Presley made the photo in this one, she loved the Jeep!

Charlotte with the bubbles

more car competition

I have said since we first laid eyes on Evan many many months ago- He takes after his PopPop with his hair!

 

Evan is NOT a sharer - Hudson sang the "sharing" song over and over and over again all weekend, I kept thinking maybe Evan would get the hint.

Our first Post Placement with Social Worker

We have been home for one whole month!  Just to be clear - It has to be the longest month of my life.  In preparation of our visit we needed to submit photos of Evan (and some with us) to share with his birth mother, foster mother, and the adoption agency.  We also wrote letters and filled out a bunch of paperwork.  I was under no illusion that the paperwork would end once we got him home, but really?  I feel like entertaining Evan is a full time job, now paperwork???  Ha!

By the way the social worker thinks we are doing just fine - a little sleep deprived but good.  In fact his attachment to us is great, better than expected!   We figure what are sleep and food issues when you have attachment?  We will get there!

It almost looks like Mocha is interested in the story - it is actually the crackers in Evan's right hand!

My kid loves cereal (and milk but that is about it)

 

Every other day Apa has morning duty, which includes a very manly breakfast on the sofa watching cartoons, not sure who enjoys it more. This is what I walked into the other morning.

 

And finally he shares with Mocha

Mommy's First

Before we returned from Seoul with Evan I had dreamed about all the 'firsts' we had missed, but so many yet to come, I never thought about my "firsts" until this week.
- my first playdate (this may have been more for me than Evan) and at that first playdate I wasn't even thinking like an experienced mom when I didn't convince Evan that his special red motorcycle would remain safe in my bag while he played, no need to carry it around the entire playground.  Instead I was so excited that he was having fun and playing with other children it never crossed my mind.
- my first 'hunt for the lost toy'  it was only when I began strapping Evan into his carseat I realized the toy we came with was nowhere to be found. I then started my first "search and rescue" attempt. I was unsuccessful and I knew I need to get home only to pass Evan off to Dan for their standing appointment at the pool.  I returned to said park again. I search and search but someone little kid had already made off with our treasure.
- the playdate ended at McDonalds where all the other kids were enjoying the chicken nuggets and cheeseburgers and Evan enjoyed some milk and 2 french fries.  Who knew I would want my kid to eat fast food? He is so picky.

Evan's First English Words

Uh oh!  Yep that is right Evan's first words were Uh Oh!  Can you tell we say it all the time?

We finally ventured out to Target today for some much needed diaper genie inserts!  Of course once I parked and got Evan out of the car seat I realized I didn't have my wallet, then spent 10 minutes trying to get him back into the carseat to go back home.  It was a real fun trip!

Once we finally starting shopping Evan sang the whole time, very chatty also.  And of course he needed a toy or two! so much for a quick trip for diaper trash bags!  Since we were out we also went to Quarry Hill Nature Center. Evan loved it.  I think some of the giant fish (ugly fish) scared him when he got to close to the aquarium. But as far as I could tell he enjoyed looking at all the animals both living and stuffed. He seemed cool with the snakes and other creepy beings, more so than I was!

Evan is also learning to share his deckside pool with the dogs, I think he prefers the big city pool that he doesn't have to share with furry animals!

Learning to share

checking out the animals that don't move

Dinosaur

Bee Hive

Showing off his new sunglasses from Target!

First Full Week

one of our playful moments

Evan Loves to take photos with my phone, he will sit and take photos of himself for 10 minutes at a time!

Evan was so hyper when he opened up a new gift from Alissa, Thomas the Train play tent

He loves to push or pull anything, He pulled his wagon down the street and up the driveway.

Wagon ride with Grandma, cousins Ryan, Rachel, and Nathan

Much needed nap, even the dogs needed a nap

Gift from 'Uncle Jim'

First trip to the pool, It doesn't look like it but he was the life of the party!

This is what happens when he refuses to nap, he sleeps at the dinner table

Our First Weekend

We may have been sleep deprived but that wasn't going to stop us from enjoying the beautiful weather! We headed to the park for some playtime with cousins Nathan and Rachel with grandma and grandpa Freudenburg.

It took a little while before Evan settled on an activity but it was the sandbox that caught his eye, we played with dump trucks, shovels, and sand pails.  He even explored the play sets and sat on my lap for the slides.  It got a bit warm and we needed to go home and put some shorts on! (all of us!)
We were warned that Evan got car sick, but we had hoped that our super cautious driving in the small town of Rochester would be different than the super busy streets of Seoul - not so.  Those four hard boiled egg whites did not look great in our new car seat!  The kiddo loves hard boiled egg whites!

After a quick bath, Evan was ready to play with his cousins and his favorite toy the lawn mower!

Nights are still restless, but we are hopeful with time and commitment Evan will rest more at night and enjoy some sleep.  We are sleeping on a floor mattress with him to try to make it as much like what he is used to but I know it will take time for him to become comfortable. During the daytime hours we are rewarded with smiles, laughs, and hugs.  We have to rely on those beautiful moments to get us through the more difficult nighttime hours.

We searched the world for you

Dear Evan Moon,

Today we hop onto a flight around the world and I am a bundle of nerves, much like a 42-week pregnant momma would be, ready to be a family together but also the future is so full of uncertainties! Your daddy and I have been waiting a very long time to meet you and bring you home, in fact more than twice as long as you have been alive! No pressure or anything but we really hope you don't completely freak out right away.

Over the years we will make you promises and pray we are able to keep them. The first promise was to pray for you and the second to do everything we can to be the parents you deserve. We named you Evan, because it means "God is Gracious" we feel so blessed to call you ours, if anyone is lucky in this situation is it your parents! You are a true miracle in our family. We also promise to incorporate your beautiful culture and celebrate your heritage in our family. We will honor your birth parents and Mrs. Choi, they will always be a part of the man you will become.

Know that those tears you see on my face are a mix of happy excited tears that you are actually real and in my arms and bittersweet tears watching you grieve and knowing the grief Mrs. Choi is now feeling. Know that you may kick and scream the entire 20-hour flight but we still love and want you.  The 20-hour flight will seem like an eternity during the actual flight but daddy and I have been waiting for this flight for almost 5 whole years! So relatively speaking 20 hours is nothing. (that is NOT a challenge!) 

We missed so many firsts in your life, but now we will get to experience a different type of firsts. We are looking forward to your first English words (hopefully not the word "No!"), your first friends (both people and puppy), trip to the pool, play with your cousins, a bike ride, oh and sleeping in your own bed just to mention a few.

We anticipate many challenges we will face as a family and at this point we are a bit nearsighted looking towards just the next few months!  

-- We know you have probably been spoiled rotten and we will need to figure out how to transition and balance your needs and wants. 

-- We know you are confused why your world just got turned upside down and we do not share the same language to communicate well with each other. We pray that with our actions we will communicate our love and dedication to you.

-- We know that you probably have never seen a dog in person and you are about to share a family with two energetic but loving big lap dogs. If you are going to use the word "No!" aim towards Mocha! You already have an ally in Tyson, he has already started chewing off the safety locks we installed on the cabinets! (specifically the cabinet with the peanut butter!) You will learn to be their pack leader!  

-- We know there are about a thousand friends and family that want nothing more to love on you at first sight and maybe you will be a social butterfly but we want to be the people that love on you and meet your needs, not because we are selfish but because we want to teach you who you can trust and we aren't going anywhere, others will have to wait.

-- We know sleep will be a challenge but we promise to be right next to you until your ready to crawl into your big boy bed. We will sleep on the floor with your just like you have for 2 years with Mrs. Choi and when you cry out for her we will comfort you.

-- We know we will have a million other challenges but first and foremost we are relying on the power of prayer and God's grace to rise above! We pray we all will find peace in His reassurance.

We have searched the world for you,

Momma and Daddy

Seriously how precious

February 20, 2012

March 20, 2012

Happy Birthday Evan

Evan Moon Freudenburg

Evan: "God is Gracious"

Keep us in your prayers we continue to attempt to be patient at waiting to squeeze those cheeks and pray that he continues to thrive in his foster home, and also that Mrs. Choi and her family continue to be blessed by him!