Lucky Friday

Last Friday, December 4, 2009, exactly one year after we participated in our CHSFS orientation webinar, we received a referral! It was a great way to start the weekend, but we didn't decide for sure until after we had the referral reviewed by the University of Minnesota's International Adoption Clinic. They comb through all the medical information to help us be aware of any potential medical concerns or developmental issues. These last few days have seemed like an eternity as we waited to hear from the IAC. It was very hard to avoid all of the questions our friends and family asked, so we had to strategically dodge them and quickly change the subject!

Wednesday, during one of the biggest winter storms Iowa has seen since the early 90s, we officially decided, called our agency in Minnesota (which wasn't having such a blizzardy day), and formally accepted our referral. And now we get to share the news with everyone:

WE HAVE A SON!!!

Joon, which is Korean for "hero," was born two months premature on June 27, 2009, and is a gorgeous little boy who entered our hearts the moment we first saw his pictures. We knew this was our son and now we can't wait to get him home! We most likely will use Joon, the name his birth mother gave him, as his middle name, but haven't decided on a first name yet.

Here are some of his adorable photos, not that we are biased or anything!

We are very anxious to meet him and wish he was already home, but we are confident that he is in good hands with his foster family. It is apparent that his foster mother cares for him deeply and that he has bonded with her. While this gives us peace while we wait, we know it will make the transition and saying goodbye in Korea that much harder. However, we are eternally thankful for the care and love they will give him until we get to bring him home.

Thanks to everyone for all of your support during the wait for a referral. We hear the second wait is even harder because we know our child is out there growing and learning new things without us. Our goal is to stay busy getting the nursery ready and finishing those projects we have been meaning to do...

We'll keep you posted as the various pieces of paper make their way through the system. And we'll let you know if there are any other developments!