So my day started early. Like way early. Like suddenly my body missed the fact that I was in a different time zone and really thought 2AM was a great time to be wide awake. And stay awake. Despite whatever I did. And so 4 hours later when it was actually an appropriate time to be awake I was more than ready to get out of bed.
We went for a good run this morning. Crazy to think that we went runny by the palace that was built in 1365. Which is before Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue and before the majority of the world even knew that the continent we live on existed, and yet here we are running next to something that was standing back then. Kind of crazy to think about. And to realize that in the scheme of things America is pretty lame when it comes to history stuff.
After eating breakfast we face-timed with the boys. It was good to see them and hear them and talk with them. They are all such great boys. The first thing they all asked was to see Paxton. I had to tell them that we don’t get him until Thursday. They weren’t too impressed with my answer. To say that they are a little excited to welcome their new brother in would be an understatement.
From there we kind of doodled and took our time getting ready since we didn’t have to be at Coppelia’s agency until 11:30. We finally left our hotel around 10:30 but still managed to make it there 15 minutes early. Foster mom got stuck in traffic so we had an extra long time to wait. Coppelia was dressed up today in a cute light brown dress with a big bow in her hair and her hair all curled and done. Again, I’ll say that I’ve got the most beautiful daughter around. She seemed even more comfortable with us today. She still wanted foster mom around but wasn’t hanging on her or going to her every couple of minutes and instead more engaging with us. Totally helped that we brought “bunny crackers” (basically the Boulder healthy version of goldfish crackers) and fruit snacks. We scored extra points with those today. After we had been playing for about an hour, our social worker stuck her head in the room and told us and foster mom that she was going to go to lunch with the majority of the other social workers and we were welcome to stay and play. Coppelia was ready to be out of the room we were in and so we just walked and wandered up and down the hall, she picked up various things to play with and we just kind of went with it. The meeting went really well and we left encouraged and excited to bring her home soon.
After we got back to our hotel and got changed out of our nicer clothes it was go time…time to get the last few things ready for Paxton to join us tomorrow. Despite walking all over this city the majority of the time Clint still has no idea where we are at. And so when I looked at him and said “we are going to go to the street market and buy strawberries, the underground market and buy hanbok teddy bears for the boys’ present, and then Lotte grocery store to get milk” he just gave me a blank nod. As we headed out I would ask him a few times “ok so do you know where we are at?” And he had no clue. Good think that I’m the once coming back from Coppelia’s custody next month….I’m afraid if it was him he might wander around the city aimlessly for a few days with no idea where he was at. All that to say we successfully bought our strawberries and milk and the little bears for the boys.
We dropped those off at our hotel room and then headed for Gwangjang market which was Korea’s first market years and years ago. It is famous for it’s textiles and silks and bedding. And I know we just saw a fraction of it, but there were row upon row and stack upon stack of bolts of fabric. There was also a huge section of hanboks taylors and market stores. We wandered for close to an hour I think and probably saw a fraction of the hanbok stores. I love walking and seeing all the hanboks (traditional Korean clothing). They are all beautiful. As we walked I told Clint it would be impossible for me to even know where to start if I was going to have my own made…..each one I saw was more beautiful than the one before it. I really hope one of the kids decides to include or have a traditional Korea wedding someday so I have an excuse to get a hanbok made.
As part of Gwangjang Market is a street full of different little food stands. Some had fresh octopus and others were selling dumplings. Many had things that I don’t even know what they were but some looked good. We ended up at a dumpling spot that also served different soups. We ate plenty and then some and went away very satisfied.
At this point it was all of 5PM. Nevertheless we were both done. We headed back to our hotel and got our diaper bag packed and ready for tomorrow and will head to bed soon. Tonight I reflect on the fact that this will be the last time that Paxton lays down and goes to sleep in the bed and house and family he has ever known. He spent his first three months at the baby’s home but from then on he has been with his sweet foster family. Tomorrow the realities of adoption will be met head on. This little sweet 21 month old has already in his short life said good-bye to 2 families. His birth mother carried him and her very body nurtured him for 9 months, and then his sweet foster family has loved on him every day since that time. He doesn’t know and won’t understand that tomorrow he is joining his forever family, it is all just going to seem like loss and confusion for him. Please pray for his sweet heart and pray for his foster family as well.
As Paxton joins our family tomorrow I also reflect on another sweet boy who joined our family on March 23rd, only instead of 2017 it was 2012. Tomorrow Caedmon Isaiah will turn 5! And what a sweet blessing he has been. He has a heart the size of Texas, and he often can see the one in the crowd that everyone else looks over and he goes out of his way to help that one join in and be welcome. He’s got a very sensitive heart and an eclectic sprit. His imagination runs wild and he is my artsy boy. As much as he loves dancing ballet and asks for diapers for his stuffed animals for his birthday so he can put them on them, he also asks in the same breath for a logging truck and chain saw and super hero capes for his animals as well. Caedmon Isaiah, I am so glad that you are my son and that I get to be your mommy, Happy 5th birthday sweet boy!
I will try and keep everyone posted on how custody goes and introduce you officially to Paxton KaOn and let you know how court goes and the attachment process comes along, but I will also be honest here and say, I promise to share all those things, it just may be a number of days after the fact as we learn and grow and figure out and attach in these next number of days/weeks/months. Thank you for your support and prayers along the way
Hiking Mommy 