Home Recovering & Enjoying

This is our 3rd night home and we are starting to get our feet under us. Each hour we fall more in love with our son even as all three of us work under the strain of a 16 hour time change and the upending of our former lives. Fortunately for Jana and I, we have had years to prepare for this moment. Tae's life was rather more suddenly upended. Fortunately for him, he has the resiliency of youth!

Here is a recap of the last few days:

Our trip from Seoul Tuesday morning began in a torrential rainstorm, the worst rain our airport driver had seen in the last three years. Our driver was also our hero as he assisted us (and a Korean Holt escort travelling with a baby going to meet her family in North Dakota) in moving us into Economy Plus on United. The 5 extra inches were a blessing that we believe were the result of Holt Korea's good name.

Our plane was full and we were seated in an area with a number of kids from Tae's age through 15. In fact, the 15 year old was a Holt adoptee travelling home from his first trip back to Korea. We had several conversations with his mom during the flight, and Jana sat and had a conversation with him as well.

Tae slept the first 4 hours of the flight while strapped into our Ergo carrier on my front. During the rest of the flight he was not as happy to sit and did not want to be strapped in his carrier, although his mom and dad felt better about it since we had several hours of flying with the "fasten seatbelt" sign lit. When the sign was not lit, one of us spent time walking the aisles with him. The flight attendants were great. During one extended "melt down" we tried everything and then the attendant brought us chipped ice which helped calm him down. Tae also earned his United "wings" pin from an attendant.

Customs, immigration, and security back stateside was quite the process: twice through the immigration line and then having to go through security wearing a little one while taking off your belt and shoes and juggling you extra diaper bag and having your formula specially screened. We made our connecting flight with mere seconds to spare.

The Schofield grandparents had arrived in SLO a few days earlier and were there to greet Tae with tears in their eyes and joy in their hearts. They have been staying in SLO and helping to feed and clothe us so we can do the same for Tae. It has been wonderful!

We have had many tears in our eyes, especially our first 24 hours home as our hearts shouted for joy at the increase in our family, and our hearts mourned for the losses Tae was experiencing. We are continually reminded of how grateful we are to both Holt Korea and to Tae's foster mom for the care they gave our son.

Tae has been very resilient, but there are times that you can either see or hear the loss he has experienced. He has been quicker to latch onto me, and Jana has taken to calling him "daddy's boy." Daddy's back is feeling this fact because his happiest place (which we are so thankful for) has been in our arms. He has been eating, playing and sleeping in both our arms.

Our first night home Tae appeared happy to switch to West Coast America time, spending 11 hours in bed with only two relatively brief awake times. Night two was a different story, as night time lasted less than 9 hours and included two long periods of wakefulness. In fact, we were awaked shortly after midnight by Tae, who proceeded to crawl over me and head out the door and down the hallway to the bathroom (where the light was on) before returning. Then it was time to play and have a bottle and struggle back to sleep over 2 hours later.

Night 3 just recently started when he fell asleep on Jana's back at 8 PM. It could be a long night or an early morning...When I am awakened at night I try to pretend I am on Seoul time, and during the day I am on West Coast time. So far it has worked but it will certainly catch up to me.

Tae's daytimes have been filled with normal cute baby activities, although most of the time he is in one of our arms. He is slowly becoming more comfortable leaving us to explore his surroundings. We get glimpses of his comfort level expanding like in the photo with Sharie during his big exploration today.

Tae also appears to be teething, with the accompanying cries, drool, and chewing on everything to prove it. His grandparents have purchased him some refrigerated teething items which seem to help.

I could go on and on about our wonderful beautiful boy, but I need to go to bed. Suffice it to say we three are deeply in love.