What an angel!

It is crazy to think that just a few days ago we were picking up our precious little girl from the airport. It all still seems so surreal to me. I wonder if that feeling will every go away?

Claire is doing better than we could have hoped! She is a happy girl giving us lots of smiles and even laughing at us when she thinks we are funny. I love when I carry her over in front of the mirror and she laughs then looks up at me and smiles. She was so entertaining last night as she played on the

floor, looking at Chad and I with her cute smile.

Her brothers love giving her attention. Little Grant is even having fun imitating things that his little sis does. The cutest is when she shakes her arms and tries to clap and he follows.

She is still sleeping great. She goes to bed around 9:30 and sleeps until 7 or later. She usually has a few naps during the day and I have found that she falls to sleep pretty easily in my arms. I can then go lay her crib and she will sleep in there for a while.

She is crawling now too. It is so fun to watch her. She tries to crawl into the kitchen to get me when she hears my voice or sees my face. Once she gets to me, she has a big smile on her face.

Claire also loves when I put her in the carrier. She is immediately content as soon as I put it on wrap it around her. She has already fallen asleep in it many times.

I am so in love with this little girl. It already feels like she has been a part of our family forever. We are enjoying every minute of this gift that God has given us. We are so thankful and blessed!

She's Home!

Kisses from big brother Connor

Claire's welcome home sign (thanks Lorna)!

Even when she is crying she is cute!

Meeting her great-grandpa!

Our sweet daughter

Brother is so excited to show Claire her sign that he doesn't even care that it is upside down.

Claire and her escort

The boys waiting for their sister to arrive

What an amazing experience. I can't believe that just hours ago we held our baby girl for the first time. It still feels surreal. I was so worried that the wait at the airport would be hard, but time seemed to fly by as we were waiting. I was looking at the arrival board and her plane was scheduled to land in 10 minutes, then quickly switched to arrived! She had landed ten minutes early. Our baby girl was here!

I had spent the time waiting talking to everyone, including the mother of the girl who had escorted little Claire on the plane. The daughter an adult adoptee from Korea herself had been volunteering in Korea when she had heard that she could apply to escort a baby here when she returned home. She applied and was lucky enough to get to bring our little girl to us just as some had for her years before. Hearing the story from her mother made me cry. It was so emotional.

The anticipation was overwhelming. Everyone so excited, our extended family, the boys and our friends! Minutes later I laid eyes on my sweet baby. Her eyes were closed and she had a cute little hat on. Her wonderful escort began to unload Claire's bag and then I reached for my little cutie. She was crying, but I didn't care. Even her cry is sweet (at least at this point, give me a few months:). When I was holding her, I lost all track of anything around me. It was like I was in my own little world, just me and my daughter. I do remember showing her off to everyone and letting her big brothers all give her kisses (they love her already, especailly Connor who can't get enough of her).

The plane ride was rough for her and she had only slept two hours the whole time so she cried at the airport and at home until she finally fell asleep. Amazingly, she was awake and quite the whole 15 minute car ride home from the airport, but as soon as I took her out she was crying again.

The first night home went better than we could have hoped for. She fell asleep around 7 and slept in her crib until 2. I gave her a bottle then and she cried for a little while after she had finished it. Chad helped me get the baby carrier on and within seconds she had fallen back to sleep. I laid her back down in her crib and she was good until 4:15. Both her and Grant were crying (not really sure who woke up who) but daddy went in, rubbed her tummy and back and she has been asleep ever since (it is now 8am). I hope she sleeps this good every night!

I will go for now, but will leave you some photos from our wonderful day!

She will be here tomorrow!!!

So this is the last night I will go to sleep with only three boys in the house. I can't believe that the day is almost here. I am nervous, not about how things are going to go, but nervous with excitement and anticipation!

I have gone into Claire's room many times in the past few days and last night I cried as I read the verse written on a painting on her wall. I very good friend who has shared so much with me and our family through this journey, painted this beautiful gift for our little Claire. God placed the verse so perfectly in her mind so that she could share it with us! It has given me a whole new perspective on our adoption journey- she was created by God for our family!! That is amazing and I am tearing up just writing it! Not only that, but God already has a plan for what she is going to become in the future.

He is awesome!

So the next time I post, little Claire will be here and we will have new pictures of our little princess!

She's Coming Home!!!

The phone rang about 10:20 this morning and at I glanced at the caller ID, I knew this was the call I had been waiting for. It was our social worker letting us know that Claire's flight had been scheduled for her to come home.

It is thrilling and amazing to think that one week and one day from now, Claire will be in our arms and forever apart of our family! What a blessing God is giving us, with this little girl. Someone pinch me so I know it isn't just a dream!

She flies from Korea to Chicago for the first leg of her journey on Tuesday August 11th. She will have a little layover there before continuing on to the airport here in Des Moines. She is scheduled to arrive around 4:30pm.

What a great day for her to come home. It is the day of my parent's anniversary, one day after Chad's dad's birthday, and the day before my grandpa's birthday (who she is being named after). It would have been nice to have Chad's grandma and aunt from Texas still be here but they have to return home Sat. the 8th. It is also too bad that a good friend will be away and won't get to meet our angel until the next week. God's timing, however, is always perfect and the 11th is the perfect day for her to come as part of his plan!

We will post pictures as soon as we get them uploaded the day or two after her arrival!