we've got a secret...

Yes, we've got a secret to share...


...it's a really good one, too.


After patiently waiting for 14 months,

we received a referral for a sweet baby girl back in January!

We can't share too many details publicly until we receive final approval just before we can bring her home, but our little Choi Girl is currently living in Korea with her loving foster family and she will be 1 in May. I can't post any pictures of her face either, but trust me, our CG is quite the little beauty, if I do say so myself. I mean, have you ever seen such perfect little feet? ;) (Besides CB's of course!)



So, what happens next? We wait. And wait. And wait and wait and wait and wait. It will be quite a long, long while until our daughter (our daughter!!) will be home and actually standing beside us...we're hoping that she will be home before the end of 2015, and optimistically praying that it will be closer to the Spring of 2015.

It will, for sure, be a long and hard wait, but as I've reminded myself again and again, what's 2 years in the span of a lifetime together?

So, until then, we'll wait and pray and love her from afar until she can come home and complete our little family.


I mean, it's not like, we've got our hands full or anything in the meantime...

(Do I look totally unfazed? Because I am. Because this pretty much happens all day long. ;) )

*All photos taken by my incredibly talented friend, Sandra, of Three Continents Photography. Originally, I wasn't going to do a big announcement, but after she took these photos, I just had to share them! So, many apologies for the Choi family photo overload!!!

awesome things my kid says.

So, yes, realizing that my kiddo is growing up is rather sucky. But one of the small silver linings is having conversations with Choi Boy. Kids are so unintentionally hilarious and say the most ridiculous things! After cracking up over some of the gems Lil' CB was (inadvertently) coming up with, I decided to start recording them in one place so we could hold on to them and embarrass him  share them with him when he's older.

I personalized a pocket-sized Moleskine cahier notebook (available in my shop!) and started jotting away, even tucking it into my purse for extended trips. It's not the most sophisticated method, but it's quick, easy, and gets the job done. I'm nearly at the end of the notebook I started last Spring, and I plan on making another one once this one is filled and I look forward to having lots of filled notebooks to hold on to as the years goes by.

Here are some of my favorite gems captured over the last few months:

See what I mean? Awesome. And years from now, when CB is a teenager and hates talking to me, I'll crack open these little notebooks and laugh over and treasure these gems. (Why am I so sappy and emotional lately?? I'm going to be a mess on the first day of Kindergarten...never mind high school graduation...)

Do you keep track of your little one's funny quotes?

stop time.

Hi, there. Remember me? I used to blog around these parts and then fell off the face of the internet about 6 months ago? (Yikes, 6 months?!)

We've been busy running our little rodeo, and although nothing's really changed from 6 months ago until now, somehow life just feels busier. And in addition to it feeling busier, all of a sudden it feels like we've really got a big boy on our hands... Over the past few months, we've seen our little Choi Boy grow up into truly a boy. No trace of toddler left in him and the preschooler in him is even beginning to slowly morph into this full-on boy. It's hard and scary to believe that in just 6 short months, CB will be a full-fledged school-age kid in Kindergarten!

As I think about this, I'm simultaneously in awe and disbelief that 1) I've managed to keep CB alive and well for several years (hardy har har) and 2) that time has been moving even more quickly than it did when he was a wee little one. And here's the thing about time: it's so stealthy...you've all heard that saying, "The days are long, but the years are short"? It's SO true. There are days that seem to go for, well, days, and then I blink and suddenly I've got this independent little man on my hands that doesn't need his momma nearly as much as he used to.

Don't get me wrong, CB still needs help with lots of things -- he's still in a 5-point harness car seat, for cryin' out loud (he's a looooong way from that 40-lb mark!). But, now at almost 4 and a half, he'll play independently for upwards of 2 hours; can shower almost completely by himself; fearlessly walks up to information desks and food service workers to ask for help at the library or at restaurants; and when he gets up in the morning, he gets up to use the bathroom on his own and starts playing basketball in his room, not caring that the hubs and I might still be asleep. (It's kind of hilarious to wake up to the sound of him shooting hoops in room and doing his own commentary. We often hear phrases like, "I'm on fire!" "He makes it all the way from downtown!!" at 6:30am -- for reals.

Also, he's totally into pulling crazy stunts like this:

On the one hand, it's been a lot of fun hanging out with my little big kid, and while whining is certainly still present, it's not nearly as awful as it was when he was younger. But on the other hand, I just want to stop time.

Stop time while CB is still little enough to be scooped up in my arms. Stop time while he is still little enough not to be embarrassed by endless hugs and kisses from his momma. Stop time while he's still got remnants of the soft, high-pitched little kid voice, with the cutest lisp ever to boot. Stop time while he still loves to draw me cute giant-headed people pictures just because. Stop time while he loves to sing songs to himself and said songs are ones like, "You are My Sunshine" and "Three Little Birds." Stop time while he plays independently, but still wants to be near me.

Stop time while he might not always need me, but always wants me.

I know the reality is that I can't stop time. So instead, I am going to make every effort to be more intentional and more engaged...because before I know it, I'll look back on this time, wondering how he got even bigger, even more quickly...