i've arrived!!

"welcome home" gang
despite my tardy, disorganized parents asking family & friends to join us at the airport when we arrived, over the long weekend no less, i had the best "welcome home"!

it didn't start out so great though. the immigration line/wait just about did us in!  my big bro & i were tired and hungry!  we did not want to wait in the ONLY line they had for "new immigrants".  i thought it was not never going to be our turn, as entire families lined up to immigrate that morning.  alas, it was our turn.  my big bro turned on his whiny behavior, mixed in with stomach cramps, and just like that, the officer quickly processed my papers and across we went!  i entered the "land of the free and home of the brave".

we waited so long at immigration, that all our luggage was already taken off the conveyor belt for us, and waiting to be picked up! while my big bro has experienced both sides of this journey (being welcomed & welcoming others home), this was all completely new to me. i was beyond curious about everything and everyone! as we walked out our arrival gate, we were cheered & greeted by family & friends that hung in there for our arrival! there were signs, balloons, gifts, cameras, hugs, .... all of which overwhelmed me at first.

 

since mommy knew i was happiest "free to roam", i was "set free" from the baby carrier, and OFF I WENT! i ran around, stopped to dance, and attempted to touch anything that interested me.

thank you family & friends that were able to make my homecoming so special! thanks for taking all the airport photos too!!

my first "car seat" ride (they don't have these silly things in korea!), started terribly, but the smooth drive put me right to sleep!

we arrived home to these awesome banners, which decorated our garage and front door! i woke up from a badly needed nap, about the time we arrived home. my big bro gave me the "grand tour" of my new home, including the room we will share! the whole experience was surreal, as i looked high & low, wondering what all this meant, and why the architecture looked so different from the korea homes i was used to.

as toys started to come out, i felt right at home. i'm sure i had an "ah ha" moment amidst all this, coming to realize all i have ever known as "family & home" in korea, were going to be part of my distant past, though monumental to my journey. these three "clowns" were now going to be my "family", and this home the new place i would return to day after day. if there was any trauma in reaching this point, or grief for the major loss i just experienced, i seemed to block it all in light of the fun that was being had. i quickly came to realize that the gibberish being spoken to me (i.e. english) is vastly different from all the korean i understand; however gestures & tone of voice transcend understanding verbal communication. "play" is "play" in any language -- thank God!  and so my "arrival" began a new chapter as the 4th member in this nutty family!

days 4-7, CA
did i mention i've entered a "crazy" family?

you think they would dote on me, or do things that would help the "bonding process". nope, not my wacko parents! they decided the first major "activity" they were going to do was give me a HAIRCUT! A HAIRCUT!! can you believe the nerve? this is MAJOR TRAUMA for any baby, which is why there are PROFESSIONAL kiddy barbers. they tried to setup some sort of DVD thing, but the minute the razor went on, i cried. then i cried more, which was followed by screaming. i must have swallowed a third of my hair in the process. is this act reportable?!?

lucky for them, i am resilient. the trauma ended, and i didn't even get a treat out of it! needless to say, i slept fairly well that night. maybe that was their plan? make me tired enough to sleep?!

after sleeping my first night (which was really all morning pacific time, due to jet lag), we woke up at 1p to "start our day"! amidst getting adjusted to feeding two of us little people simultaneously, they had a stroke of genius -- let's head down to carmel beach! their hair-brain idea was a result of realizing that it was 10 years ago that day (7/3), when they spent the day in carmel, followed by a romantic dinner, sunset & an engagement! so thinking "how cool would it be to now be a family of 4, on the same day, at the same place as when they got engaged??" like i said, these guys are nuts! but off we went, which worked out for our naps, though did nothing in helping us get adjusted to the current time zone.

it was clearly my first time walking on sand. i was apprehensive at first, but watching big bro enjoy it, helped ease me in. in fact, i got a little too comfortable with the ocean & sand at one point! :)

 

the benefit of being jet lagged is that we were WIDE awake during fireworks for july 4th! i personally enjoyed all the snacks that kept me still, prior to the fireworks, more than the fireworks itself.

i ended my first week with my new family, by having some backyard pool time. since we wake up in the afternoon, it's pretty hot, and a great time to enjoy some cool water outside.

the rest of the family
as much as i love talking about myself, i am aware that there are 3 other people in the family.

big bro has had his up/downs with his new role this past week.  i think i am taunting him with my passive/aggressive behavior.  when he gives me attention, i don't want it, but when he is engrossed in his activity, i want his attention.  the best though is when they make us sleep around the same time.  if we are not tired, we "bond" (i.e. play).  we're forming a healthy sibling relationship.  big bro is becoming aware of his strength when he plays, and beginning to understand i am NOT his 3.5 year old cousin who is much more able than myself!  i can hold my own for a 13 month old, but that is leap years away from what any 3.5 year old can do!  i won't go into grave detail about his perspective, as he is old enough to talk about himself.  we'll have to save that for another post.  overall, he has been doing remarkably well, all things given, articulating when he does and doesn't like to be a big brother :)

my parents are surviving.  i am a handful for them, mainly because i am fully mobile and very INDEPENDENT. i test them all the time by looking at them straight in the eyes, and then proceed to do something i shouldn't be doing.  they are less "green" as parents, so understanding my needs as a 13 month old doesn't require all the "speed reading" they were doing when big bro was going through this stage.  their biggest challenge is getting all of us on THIS time zone!

having said all this, mommy mentioned (or perhaps it was a moment of thinking out loud) that she needs to hire someone to take care of us two monkeys, while she goes to work!#$%!  she cannot (currently) fathom dealing with both of us at the same time, by herself, especially because daddy & her can barely ensure we aren't killing ourselves right now.  tell her to "suck it up"!  we aren't *that* bad! :)  remind her that:

1) she doesn't have to wake up in the middle of the night
2) she doesn't have to sleep on the floor with me
3) i have already started complying to sign language to communicate (i am food driven, what can i say?)

.... all this has got to be worth something, no?!?


below is the web album from my first days in CA, completing my first week with my forever family.

2011-07 Wk1 CA Fun