40 Weeks

Exactly 2 years ago, Charlie's birth mother was 40 weeks pregnant. Her due date. I'm speculating here, because I don't really know, but my professional guess is that she was induced at 41 weeks. I know for sure that Charlie was born at 41 weeks, and, because the risk of stillbirth rises quite a bit between 41 and 42 weeks, labor induction at 41 weeks is a common practice.

I imagine baby Charlie, all curled up in her belly, one week left with his birth mother. I wonder what she was thinking. Was she sick of being pregnant, just wanting it over with? Or not really wanting the pregnancy to end, since she knew delivery meant giving up her child?

She has to be thinking of him now, though. How could she not? I imagine she thinks about him all the time, but on the eve of his birthday, she must be thinking of him more than usual.

We are thinking of her as well. When we celebrate Charlie's 2nd birthday on Christmas Eve, we'll think of her. We'll drink a soju toast for her (oh yes, we will...family, be prepared. We are already planning a stop at H-mart in Atlanta, and this year will spend more than $3 on the soju!). We'll take photographs for her, and send them to Seoul. We'll thank her, as we do often anyways, for giving him a good start in life, and giving us our son.

Enter the Way Back Machine

From this...

To this...

p.s. I have no idea which twin that is in the "incubator" picture...pretty much no idea who is who in most of their newborn pics...:)

Can't you just hear and smell this scene?

This is one of my favorite photographs Sheref took in Seoul. I know the quality is poor, but I still love it. I love the vibrant blue of the bus, contrasted against the bright yellow of the taxi light. I also love that you can just feel this scene. Don't you think?

I would love to get a large version of this made into a wall-hanging for Charlie's room.

Anyone out there know how to get the photo enhanced/improved, and then blown up to a good quality image??

The Jin-yeong Suit

This is Charlie Jin-yeong in his hanbok on his birthday last year.

A hanbok is a traditional Korean outfit, and all Korean children wear

their hanboks on their first birthday. The foster mothers in Korea

typically gift a hanbok to the adoptive family, for the child to wear on

his or her birthday and other special occasions.

I've told Sheref a few times recently that we have to be sure and

pack Charlie's hanbok when we go to Tennessee for Christmas, so that

Charlie can wear it on his birthday, which is Christmas Eve.

This evening, Ella, Rose and I were shopping in T*rget.

I stopped to look at the boys' clothing and said I might buy

one of the sweaters for Charlie to wear on Christmas.

Rose said, "But isn't he going to wear his Jin-yeong suit?"

Meaning his hanbok. Ha, funny Rose-ism.

I Ruined Charlie's Awesome Hair

No, no pictures. That would be too embarrassing.

I think I've posted stuff before to the effect that I'm awesome at cutting kids' hair, how great I am at cutting the dog's hair, etc.

Well, no longer.

A few weeks ago I basically scalped the poor dog. He literally looked like a starved rat. Only now, after about 4 weeks of new growth, does he look cute again.

Happily for Charlie, that little guy is so darn handsome, he still looks cute, despite the fact that I butchered his awesome mohawk and ended up having to buzz his whole head.

Pics will resume after a few weeks of new growth...

The Spirit of the Unal Family Christmas

Anybody get that reference? No? Okay, whatever.

I've had a complaint from one of my followers (a.k.a. my sister...) that I don't post enough. Apparently she can't get enough of my fascinating posts.

We usually buy and decorate our Christmas tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. Our tradition is that I take the girls (and soon Charlie, once he is old enough to be trusted inside a store sans stroller...I'm thinking next year) to buy a new Christmas ornament. Then Sheref and Ella go get our tree.

This year, there was only one rule for the Christmas ornaments: no Barbies or princesses. Oh wait, that's the rule every year. Well, this year was different, in that I enforced the no Barbies or princesses rule.

On the way to buy Christmas ornaments.

Ella and Sheref on the way out the door to get the Christmas tree

On the way back in the door with said Christmas tree...

And with the tree in our house

Chuckles has the camera thing totally figured out. He smiles like a cheeseball when he sees a camera, then quickly runs back and turns the camera to see what fabulous Charlie image we've captured.

Cheeseball!!

Hot chocolate

Plate after consumption of the Christmas tree decorating cupcakes. I wasn't fast enough to capture the "before" image...

And a rousing game of "pull Chuckles around on a blanket." This game never fails to entertain!

Notice Charlie trying to climb over the couch

This kid loves anything shiny...

Charlie's ornament for 2011 -- his first John Deere. Poor tractor only has 3 wheels now...guess I shouldn't have let Charlie play with it before hanging it on the tree. Oops.

Ella's owl

Rosie's choice...classic Rudolph

Lulu's 2011 ornament. She was so excited because she knows Sheref likes Charlie Brown. She was so excited to show him what she had picked!

(And not a Barbie or princess in the bunch)

My child is a bully

See this face?

Sweet, huh?

Charlie's foster mother described him to Sheref as a child who is very shy, and "when he plays with other kids, they take his toys and he cries."

Charlie has never struck me as particularly shy, but I still always thought of baby Charlie in Korea, getting his toys snatched away by other kids. And instead of snatching them back, just crying.

Then a few months ago, Charlie got bitten a few times by a classmate. The same classmate, 3 times. Poor Charlie, bullied by classmates.

Well, a few weeks ago Sheref arrived at Chucktown's school to pick him up, and the teachers said "We have to talk." Sheref thought maybe he had gotten bitten again. So imagine his surprise when the teachers told him it was Charlie causing the problem.

"Charlie has been, well, leaning really hard on his classmates, knocking them to the ground, then laying on them and laughing."

Ooops. This is something he and the girls do -- "wrestling." However, I suppose when you are bigger than your classmates, "leaning on them" is not cool, huh?