Family/Pamilya/Ka-jok

Happy Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

In front of Jonathan Borofsky's "Hammering Man"

Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, TX

Before I got married, I imagined holidays would be about continuing family traditions. However, the most important thing I have learned over the past four years is that all families are unique and rather than try to recreate my own childhood, maybe it's time to let traditions come alive in new forms, perhaps creating some new ones. After all, our family was formed in a "non-traditional" way, so why should we stick to convention?

Thanksgiving is one of those times what creating tradition becomes especially important. Since we don't have any family in the area, we usually wait until the last minute to make plans, usually in the form of getting ourselves invited to someone's house or hosting an impromptu Thanksgiving feast for other Thanksgiving "orphans." Even though I don't very much care for this holiday, Thanksgiving is one of those times of the year where we can mark milestones and think about how much we have changed and grown during the past year. This realization, along with my weakness for craft foam, inspired me to make the cheesy, yet cute, Family Turkey:

Yes, I know it doesn't look like much now. But the plan is to add the kid's hands every year to mark how much they have grown. And since Veronica can write her own name now, it's especially meaningful to have her write it on her hand this year.

I wish you all a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your turkey, football, and any other traditions that you have. And if you're so inclined, start another one.

I Signed The Petition for Preemies!

2008-11-12T08:58:00.001-08:00

Quick update

2008-11-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

I took at hiatus from blogging, but after some friendly nudging from a couple of friends, I came back. Truth is, the longer you wait between blog posts, the harder it is to come back. So much went on and it was hard for me to summarize it in one post.

So here's the gist:

We are all doing well.
Over the summer, D.J. finally got his citizenship papers, marking an end to a very long journey. All the legal work regarding the adoption is over and we can finally breathe.
We took a road trip this summer and drove through Oklahoma, Tenesee, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. I got a speeding ticket in Illinois.
Erek continues his job with the Federal government. I now teach two anthropology classes.
Veronica celebrated her 4th birthday in style (see slideshow)
Kids still attend the same preschool: Veronica 5 days, D.J. 3 days.
Veronica loves soccer, dance, and gymnastics. She also says she wants to play the violin.
D.J. started gymnastics as well. His favorite things are swinging on the bar and jumping in the foam pit.

I will try and continue the updates. Now that I think about it, I miss blogging.

Messiah Lutheran Trike-a-Thon

2008-11-06T03:49:00.001-08:00

Halloween Summary

2008-11-02T13:34:00.001-08:00

Veronica's Birthday - September 8, 2008

2008-10-22T12:40:00.001-07:00

Borowski Summer Road Trip 08

2008-10-22T12:21:00.001-07:00

Family Day/Citizenship Ceremony

2008-10-22T12:17:00.001-07:00

Independence Day 08

2008-10-22T12:01:00.001-07:00

Summer's Here!!

2008-05-31T13:28:00.000-07:00

As you many have noticed, I am addicted to making Photobucket slideshows. I especially like making remixes so I can add cheesy music and cool transitions. Below is my latest creation - in honor of the beginning of summer, I have created a slideshow that celebrates having fun at the pool. Enjoy!

Summer Fun Slideshow

2008-05-31T13:26:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-13T16:23:00.000-07:00

Erek and the kids really made this past Sunday wonderful! It started with Veronica and D.J. "cooking" me a tasty breakfast of cereal and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was the best breakfast ever! We then spent the morning at the the church nursery, as it was our week to watch the little ones while their parents were at mass. It was a little chaotic, but we managed to get most of the kids to color Mother's Day cards.

We then headed to Dinosaur Valley State Park, which is home to "some of the best preserved dinosaur tracks in the world." We spent most of the time splashing in the Paluxy River. Even Maggie, who usually avoids bodies of water, seemed to enjoy it when Erek threw her in.

Check out our slideshow below!

Mother's Day at Dinosaur Valley State Park

2008-05-13T16:21:00.001-07:00

Donnie and Marie? The Carpenters? Jonas Brothers? No, it's Veronica and D.J.

2008-05-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

Veronica and D.J. are trying to be the next great sibling music act. Their repertoire includes hits like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," "The Wheels on the Bus," and "Amee" (They are still obsessed with this Pure Prairie League Song).

Austin trip with Aunt Kara

2008-04-29T09:29:00.001-07:00

Easter Montage

2008-04-02T08:37:00.001-07:00

A hunting we will go...

2008-03-21T13:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, our homeowner's association put on their annual egg hunt. It was a success and both kiddos came home with a bucketful of eggs. Check out the decor on their Easter buckets, by the way. Decorating plastic buckets for Easter is fast becoming a Borowski family tradition (that and using the same buckets for the sandbox and pool during the summer - we love multi-use stuff!)

Ready to go

Veronica and her loot

D.J.'s got the hang of it

Thanks, Easter Bunny!

Veronica, the Dog Whisperer

2008-03-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

This morning, Veronica tried to get our mutt, Maggie, to sit. Here's how it went:

Veronica (in whiny voice): Maaaaggie. Sit!

Maggie unresponsive. She runs into the bedroom and under the bed.

Veronica: Mommy, Maggie won't sit.
Me: Well, that's not the way you talk to Maggie. Try again.
Veronica: Maggie, sit PLEASE.

Maggie still didn't sit. But at least Veronica has good manners.

February wrap-up

2008-02-26T15:08:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to create a new post for a while, but we had technical difficulties. After almost four years of faithful service, our Canon Powershot A80 could give no more. We had seen this coming - the past couple of months we had to use scotch tape to keep the thing working. While we were researching cameras and waiting for our new Canon Powershot SD1000 to come in the mail (Erek found a sweet deal online), we had to resort to a disposable camera to capture our special Kodak moments.

February may mean Valentine's Day to most people, but for us, it means Daddy's birthday (not to mention Ninang Nicole's and Tito Vlad's!!). We celebrated with a cookie cake, flax seed, and a trip to Gattitown.

Daddy, kids and cookie cake

Daddy and birthday cards

Fun in the Gattitown photo booth

I can't believe it's almost March! Wasn't it just Christmas? Seriously, it's hard to remember what month we're in, especially since DFW has such funky bipolar weather patterns. I guess the good thing about it is that once in a while we get a gorgeous day thrown in...

Sunny day at Suncreek Park

Until next time....

Tribute to Pure Prairie League

2008-02-13T15:38:00.001-08:00

D.J.'s First Month in the Terrible/Terrific Two's

2008-01-30T08:39:00.000-08:00

The Borowski family has survived the first month of 2008, and more imporantly, the first month of our Dong Joon being two years old! D.J. turned two on December 30, just in time to welcome the new year. We celebrated with Lolo and Lola by making cupcakes and spending the afternoon at Liberty Park in Plano.

Yes, that is a tank you see on the playground.

The following week, we had D.J.'s birthday party at The Wiggly Play Center in Frisco. I have to point out that this is the only facility of its kind in the United States. The only other Wiggly Play Center that exists as of now is in Sydney Australia. Anyway, D.J. really loves The Wiggles (it is the only television show he will watch) so was so excited to have his party there! All the children pointed their fingers, did the twist, and ate a lot of "hot potatoes"!

D.J. blew his candles out in one puff - not bad for an asthmatic!!

Speaking of D.J.'s asthma, I am happy to report that he has been doing so much better this season compared to the beginning of 2007. He has had his share of nasty viruses, but the wheezing has been minimal. He does has to use the nebulizer once a day, but we don't have to hold him down and/or put him in a straightjacket to keep his mask on anymore.

After D.J.'s birthday madness was over, Daddy went in for surgery on both feet. Yes, both feet. I'm not going to go into any details, but we're hoping that the procedure will help him be able to run, hike and boogie down the way he used to. He spent a couple of days on the couch, but he is now hobbling around wearing two very large boots. The kids enjoyed having him home and most of the time they were careful not to climb on his legs.

That's it for now. I hope everyone is having a wondeful January. Happy New Year!

Visions of Sugarplums...

2007-12-26T11:18:00.000-08:00

Here are photos of holiday cheer....Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, How lovely are thy branches!

Reindeer games

Veronica in the Christmas Pageant...isn't she angelic?

Christmas morning!

The holidays are so tiring!

World's greatest stocking stuffer - scissors!!!

Why do they do this to me every year???

And we'll end with a song...not exactly a holiday song, but just as cheery.

Happy Anniversary!

2007-11-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

Today marks one year since we brought our little Dong Joon Bug home from Korea. I can't believe it's been a year already. It certainly has been a bumpy ride, but it is clear that D.J. is an integral part of our family. Let's compare:

D.J. shortly after I met him for the first time

D.J. two weeks ago, very proud of his Jack-O-lantern

Veronica "helping" D.J. eat when he first came home

Butterfly Girl and Werewolf Boy, Halloween 2007

Our family celebrated by going to JinMi restaurant. After covering himself in Kimchee and rice, D.J. enjoyed a rasperry sorbet (non-dairy, of course) from Cold Stone. Veronica had to have the Cotton Candy ice cream because it's blue.

What a year! Happy Anniversary to us!

Fall Fun

2007-10-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

The weather is still warm, but that doesn't stop us from participating in all things autumn. We kicked off October with a trip to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm in Celina, TX where the kids enjoyed a hayride, petting zoo, and of course, pumpkins. This was D.J.'s first trip to the pumpkin patch and he reacted in his usual high-decibel enthusiasm. He loved feeding the animals, especially the goats and sheep. Veronica, of course, went straight for the tractor.

Erek and I thought it was about time the kids went camping , so last week we packed up the tent, sleeping bags, and the dog and headed to Lake Murray State Park in Ardmore, Oklahoma. We were a little worried about how Veronica and D.J. would deal with sleeping in a tent with us, but they did very well. Unfortunately, we had to cut our trip short because it started to rain very hard on Saturday. So, after a very wet hike to the lake, we came home. We plan to go back next month.

The tent is up!!

Looking for rocks to skip on the lake

We love camping!!

Finally, big news - Mommy has joined a band! Yes, I'm fulfilling a childhood dream. Our band is called Black Prairie and we are made up of mostly members of the Our Lady of Angels Church Choir. Our reportoire includes hits from Lynard Skynard, Jimmy Buffet, America, The Bee Gees, Linda Ronstadt, Kenny Chesney, Pam Tillis, and the Eagles. Sam, our lead singer, has also written some beautiful songs that we cover. I mostly sing back-up and do percussion, but I get to sing lead occasionally. We had our first gig last Sunday when we played The Park in Plano, a local nursing home. We were a hit! However, I must mention that most of our audience was hard of hearing.

Black Prairie
From left to right: Blake, Rick, Sam, Shawn, Lorie, A.J. and me. (Not pictured: Gordon, our awesome lead guitarist) In the center is Diana, our biggest fan.

Our next gig is at the church picnic on October 21st. Ironically, we are working on the REM song "Losing My Religion."

That's all for now!

Happy Birthday, Veronica!

2007-09-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

Since we are almost in October, I decided it was about time to post some pictures from Veronica's birthday. Veronica turned the big "3" on September 8, 2007. The grandparents and the Lolos joined us to celebrate. For her big day, Veronica chose to go to Reptile Fest at the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science. She was very impressed by all of the "sneaky snakes"!

Looking at snakes with Grandpa

Blowing the candles on her cupcake

Then came the birthday party at Kiddin' Around Playcare.

Dora and Diego cake made by Mommy's wonderful friend, Angela

Blowing out the candles

Pinata time!

There's a lot to write, but Mommy and Daddy only have a short time to blog. You just have to be satisfied with pictures this time.

My Little Helpers

2007-08-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on the happenings here at Casa de Chaos. Now that we're done with all of our traveling for the summer, we are trying to get back to some sort of routine. The kids are pitching in as well - they are really becoming great little helpers! D.J. has decided that laundry is cool. Mind you, he mostly likes taking folded clothes out of the basket and throwing them around, but with a little guidance one is able to direct him to do something more productive and in his eyes, just as fun. Here he is pictured taking clean clothes out of the dryer - without tossing them everywhere!

Veronica is also becoming increasingly independent and helpful. She is especially excited about cooking and helping out in the kitchen. Her specialties are peanut/almond butter and jelly sandwiches, burritos, and rice (scooping it into the rice cooker, anyway). Watch out, Emeril! She also likes to help with all activities dealing with our dog, Maggie. Veronica is very concerned about Maggie's health and well-being, so she regularly checks her vitals. Unfortunately, Maggies does not appreciate Veronica's efforts.

But it's hardly all work an no play at our house. We have plenty of time for fun and games, including dress-up. Veronica seems to be more excited about this activity than D.J. However, if he finds items that he thinks are funny (like Veronica's headband), he will put it on and won't take it off. I can't get this boy to wear a hat in the sun and I can't get him to take off his sister's headband. Such fun!

I must say, this has been the most wonderful summer. We have had so many adventures with the kiddos. There is only more to come!

Veronica and D.J.'s Travel Guide to New York City

2007-07-31T09:15:00.000-07:00

Times Square is Exciting!

You might think that since we both are under three years old, we probably don’t appreciate all that the Big Apple has to offer. After all, New York is the “City that never sleeps” and we still need 12-14 hours per day. However, we found that New York has something to offer everyone, even a child who hates crowds and a toddler who can’t stay still. So, we put together this list of travel tips just in case you are traveling to New York and fall under one of these categories.

What to Bring
Grandparents: This is essential for travel. Not only are grandparents (in our case, Lolo and Lola) very fun to be around, they also are great when Mommy and Daddy need a break, nap or just time to go out. They also are known to let you jump on the hotel bed and turn the T.V. on and off an infinite amount of times.

Double wide umbrella stroller: As you may know, New York is a walking city. We spent so much time in our Jeep Wrangler Sport All Weather Twin.

Diaper Bag: Don’t forget this item like my parents did! Your mommy will say bad words at the airport when you have a poop and no wipes and your daddy will hate spending money on things that are sitting in the diaper bag at home.

Where to Stay
We stayed at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. It really didn’t matter to us that this was a luxury hotel in the middle of everything – what really made this hotel cool was all its amenities:

Glass elevator that provides hours of free fun
Several escaltors (also very fun)
Connecting room with Lolo and Lola (so we could let our parents sleep in the morning
Many doors and drawers to open and close
Lots of pillows in each room

Daddy liked our room because of the great view of the Bruce Willis billboard.

What to See and Do
City Tour: The wheels on the bus DO go round and round! And we got to see it from the top of the bus, thanks to City Sights NY. The bus took us through each section of Manhattan and we got to see all of the famous big buildings! The best part was when it started to rain and they gave us free ponchos.

D.J.'s tip: The bus is great because you can be as loud as you want and nobody will mind. New York City is very noisy anyway.

Subway: What can be cooler than a train underground??? And it goes really fast, too. However, Mommy and Daddy didn't seem as excited as we were about riding the subway with us - perhaps it's because they had to carry the stroller around while making sure we didn't take off.

Central Park: There are 21 playgrounds found in Central Park, many of which have spray grounds! Although Mommy always forgot our bathing suits, that didn't stop us from getting wet!

Veronica's tip: If you're lucky, you might see a random model having a photo shoot at one of the city parks. Take advantage of this moment to strike a pose.

Central Park Zoo: Animals are always a cool thing to see. However, if you don't like crowds of kids (Veronica), avoid going to the zoo when the day camps are there. Also avoid the penguin exhibit if you don't like dark caves (also Veronica). Across from the main zoo you will find the Children's Zoo where you can feed and pet various animals, including an alpaca! There is also a nifty spider "web" you can climb.

Museum of Natural History: This is a great place to run around and look at lots of things (emphasis on run around). Mommy and Daddy liked learning about the different exhibits, but our favorite part was playing outside in the garden and eating lunch.

Veronica's tip: Avoid the Africa Room, even though it's most famous part of the whole museum. It's too dark in there. And fake elephants are just too freaky - show me some real ones! I prefer the amphibian and reptile room - snakes and frogs rule!

Battery Park/Statue of Liberty: We didn't exactly see the Statue of Liberty up close, but Mommy pointed it out to us when we went to Battery Park. We didn't care - we were having too much fun on the musical sculpture.

Empire State Building: We love elevators - and this one goes 102 stories! Aside from the long line, we had a lot of fun looking at the whole city from the top.

Veronica's Top Picks

Escalator at Marriott Marquis: Moving stairs - what could be more fun? The Marriott has four flights of really long escalators. I was really lucky that Lolo was always willing to go with me
Big Bil-dins: The buildings in New York are really tall!! They are so pretty to look at, especially the Empire State Building, Rockafeller Center, and the funny looking Flatiron building.

Place to avoid: Toys 'R Us, Times Square: This store is entirely too busy. The ferris wheel looks inviting at first, but it's just too big and scary. The giant dinosaur and Geoffrey the Giraffe don't help either. If your parents insist on taking you there, just cover your eyes.

D.J.'s Top Picks

Pigeons in Central Park: New York is full of pigeons! I love these birds and don't hesitate to point them out.

Marriott Marquis Times Square: I can't say enough positive things about this hotel. There are lots of things to play with in the room, including the telephone and safe. And everything is within my reach!

We hope this guide was helpful - enjoy your trip to the Big Apple!

Summer Fun

2007-07-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

Life's a Beach!
I can't believe summer is halfway over! I don't know if it's all the rain we are having in Texas, but I feel like I'm still waiting for it to start.

That's not to say we haven't done our share of summer activities. After D.J.'s finalization, we headed to California to visit our families of origin (Erek's and mine). Of course, we had to take the kids to the beach. Both of them loved the sand and wanted to go into the ocean, but as soon as the cold water hit their feet they started screaming at the same time. I know in time they will learn to love the water just like Mommy does.

Natural Bridges Beach with Daddy

At the "beach" with friends D. and K.

Since we've been home it has been life as usual. The rain has forced us to be more innovative with our time (we can't always count on going to the community pool). In addition to exploring all the fine indoor playgrounds at the local malls and fast food restaurants, the kids and I have been spending a lot of time at the library and doing arts and crafts. We also will try to spend some outside time in between downpours. I've gotten pretty good at getting the kids inside before it starts raining - I think I might have the same talent as that chick in "Mean Girls" (It's like I have ESPN or something...)

Happy Birthday, America!
We celebrated July 4 by watching Plano's Annual Independence Day Parade. The kids had fun waving at all the people on the floats, but we had to cut the fun short because Veronica got freaked out by the dragon demonstration performed by a local Asian American club. She understood that it wasn't a real dragon dancing in the street, but she just didn't want to have anything to do with it. It didn't help that the dancers would repeat their performance every couple of minutes. When we saw the giant inflatable soldier on the Marine Corps float, we didn't want to take our chances on another meltdown.
Off we go...again!
We have one more big adventure left this summer....the Borowski Family is headed to the Big Apple! Erek has to go to New York City to attend some training, so we decided to make it a family trip. Lolo and Lola are coming with us so maybe Erek and I can enjoy the city after 8:00. Wish us luck - if we can make it there, we can make it anywhere!

It's final!

2007-06-08T13:07:00.001-07:00

At 1:00 pm. today, our family stood before a Tarrant County judge and Kim Dong Joon officially became Dong Joon Andrew Borowski. As we walked inside the 324th District Court at the Family Law Center in downtown Fort Worth, we were surprised to find the courtroom decorated with balloons and stuffed animals (not your typical scene from Law & Order!). We were one of about a dozen families finalizing our adoption today, so it was a very happy atmosphere.

We were the second family to be called up to Judge Jerome Hennigan. Veronica had watched the children from the previous family sit next to the judge, so she immediately asked if she could "sit with judge." Judge Hennigan was flattered and let her sit right on top of the bench.

Order in the court!

After we were all sworn in (including the kids!), our attorney asked us a series of questions. Though the hearing was very informal and the mood was laid back, it was nonetheless emotional. I was asked if I "promised to be Dong Joon's mother and love him forever" - wow! What a moment that was! The "I do" couldn't come out of my mouth fast enough.

D.J. was a little overwhelmed by the whole process. The hearing unfortunately was during his regular naptime, so he was a little cranky when the whole thing started. Those of you who have been around a cranky D.J. know that he tends to squawk like a wounded seagull when he is unhappy or uncomfortable. When he laid his eyes on the balloon-adorned courtroom, his unhappy squawks turned into excited chirps, but he was still pretty noisy. He behaved himself through most of the questioning, but he did get a little restless at the end. I was hoping he was just excited and not intending to make a formal objection to the judge! He quieted down, however, when Judge Hennigan let each of the kids choose a stuffed animal to take home. He picked a polar bear and Veronica chose a turtle.

Judge Hennigan was satisfied with our testimony and signed our adoption decree. From this day forward, Dong Joon is legally our son. This day comes exactly seven months from the day D.J. and I arrived in Dallas after a long journey from Seoul. Erek and I cannot believe we get to be parents to this magnificent little boy. It hasn't been an easy journey, but it is so worth it. Every day with D.J. is a new adventure!

I must say, though, that as much as we are overjoyed about today, our happiness is a little bittersweet. I know I am and will always be D.J.'s mother, but I must always remember that I have not been the only mother in his life. Today I not only celebrate the fact that we have been made a family, but I also have to remember what his birthmother lost when she chose adoption for this little boy. I wish I could tell her how wonderful D.J. is and how grateful we are to have him in our lives. We are also grateful to his foster mother who took such wonderful care of D.J. for seven months of his life. Because of the love and care she gave him, he has adjusted easily into our home and attached to us very quickly. Adoption does mean new beginnings, but I want to make sure that D.J. knows about his life before us and honors the two women that were his "ummas" before me.

Erek and I plan to always celebrate every June 8 as our Family Day. For the kids, today was very exciting, but it will be a while before they realize how significant it really was to our family. By the time we got back to the car, they were poking each other, fighting over toys, and laughing afterwards, just like brothers and sisters do. We wouldn't have it any other way.

On the Move

2007-06-01T11:05:00.001-07:00

We have lift off!

Summer has officially started and we are on the go, especially D.J. These past few weeks have been exciting because he has started to take his first steps. He still prefers to crawl (because he is so fast), but he is showing more interest in becoming bipedal. This is great news for Mommy and Daddy because he is so heavy - too heavy for us to carry around all the time!

Memorial Day weekend meant we were off to Dublin, Ohio (near Columbus) to visit Tito Vlad, Tita Betsie, and cousin Jack for Jack's 2nd birthday. Traveling with the kiddos is always stressful, but I think both Veronica and D.J. did very well. Veronica, who is in the midst of potty training, was very impressed by the airplane lavatory. We had to make several trips so she could flush the blue water.

It had been a whole year since we had seen Jack and we were impressed as to how much he had grown! He was a gracious host and shared all of his toys with Veronica and D.J. It was also the first time Tito Vlad and Tita Bestie met D.J. and they were happy to finally meet their new nephew. Upon seeing D.J., Tito Vlad began calling him "Bruiser" and advised us to get him into wrestling.

All the cousins together

Daddy and D.J. ready to party at Jack's birthday

While in Ohio, we immersed ourselves in a plethora of activities, including trips to the park, pre-school night at Dublin Community Recreatio n Center, and a fun-filled day at COSI in Columbus. Our friends, Kyra and Casey (who used to reside in DFW) met us at COSI, which thus far has been the best hands-on science museum for children that we have ever been to. Not only did we get to frolic at the museum, but we also got to catch up with our friends and their two beautiful girls, Lana (2) and Teagan (brand new). A word of advice to anyone bringing toddlers to COSI - bring an extra set of clothes! The water exhibit in the toddler zone is very fun, but the raincoats will only protect so much!

Even big kids have fun at COSI

We're back home, but only for a short while. After our finalization on Friday (yeah!), we are headed to California to visit the rest of the family. We are praying for an on-time flight, good weather, and courteous passengers who understand that it's very difficult to travel with small children, no matter how good they are.

Took a break, but we're back

2007-05-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

Our family has been kind of quiet for the past few months, at least when it comes to blogging. If you venture inside our household, however, you will find it not so quiet. We are pleased (?) to say that asthma has not affected D.J.'s ability to shout and yell really loud. And of course, Veronica has to yell even louder when she says "QUIET, JEE-JAY!"

One of the biggest changes we have made in the past couple of months is we have banished all dairy products from D.J.'s diet. At the end for February, D.J.'s asthma episodes were becoming frequent and uncontrollable. We were running out of things to try when a couple of people mentioned the connection between asthma and dairy all ergies. Our pediatrician gave her nod of approval, even though there is not conclusive scientific evidence to establish causation. But I'm a cultural anthropologist - I have spent my whole academic life critiquing so-called "scientific" evidence. So we moved forward and replaced milk, cheese, and yogurt (staples in D.J.'s diet) with Enfamil Next Step Pro-Sobee formula, Almond milk, and a variety of non-dairy snacks. Withing two weeks, my little boy was breathing so much better - not a wheeze to be heard. Since the end of February, he has only had two asthma episodes due to ear/sinus infections. The difference these times was that he responded to treatment much quicker than before.

I must mention that finding foods without any type of dairy products in them is no small task. Many foods have small amounts of nonfat milk or whey protein. Even these tiny amounts can make a difference. Hopefully as D.J. grows older and stronger we can gradually add some dairy into his diet. But for now, he will have to learn to live without string cheese, cake, and (gasp) Goldfish crackers!

Fast forward to Lent and Easter. Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Lara (Daddy's family minus Aunt Kara) spent the Easter holiday with us. We had a fun-filled week of dying eggs, Egg hunts, and plain-old family time.

After the egg hunt at Our Lady of Angels

We're beat!

Then came Mommy's birthday. The whole family participated in Walk America, the annual fund raiser for the March of Dimes. As preemie graduates, we thought it was important for both the kids to participate in this fund raiser. We were a part of team from Medical Center of Plano, the hospital where Veronica was born. As a team we raised over $25,000 for the March of Dimes. Veronica and D.J. did very well during the five mile walk.

D.J. was out by the middle of the walk

Those have been the major events since the last post. As summer nears, we are getting ready for a very hot season in Texas. We will be making a couple of family trips (Ohio and NYC) and probably be spending a lot of time at Jack Carter Pool in Plano. But the most exciting event will occur in June, when Dong Joon will legally become a part of our family. That's right...we have have just completed our last post-placement report and on June 8, a Tarrant County judge will sign our adoption papers. What a ride this has been!

More to come...stay tuned!

Be Our Valentine

2007-02-13T16:21:00.000-08:00

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Give me a head of hair, long beautiful hair...

2007-02-01T21:52:00.000-08:00

Shining, gleaming,Streaming, flaxen, waxen
Give me down to there hair
Shoulder length or longer
Here baby, there mama
Everywhere daddy daddy
Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair
Flow it, show it
Long as God can grow it
My hair
-from "Hair"

Heads and hair - that's been our focus for the past couple of weeks. On the recommendation of D.J.'s pediatrician, we took him to be evaluated by Cranial Technologies, a clinic that specializes in correcting head shape. Because premature babies have softer skull bones, they often have flat spots from lying in the same position for too long. When Veronica was in the NICU, the nurses were very careful about changing her position every three hours. As such, she left the hospital with a nice round head. Our pediatrician was concerned because she thought that D.J's head was a little flat on one side and might need to be corrected by wearing a special helmet called a DOC band.

I was not too excited about the possibility of D.J. having to wear a helmet for six months. The helmet part didn't bother me, but the prospect of having to go yet more doctor's appointments every couple of weeks to get the thing adjusted was giving me anxiety. Furthermore, D.J. does not really like anything on his head and I was dreading having to wrestle him down and put a DOC band on. However, when I got to the office I started to thumb through a catalog of helmets. I found out we could get one custom made and decorated in any style we wanted. The possibilities were endless. By the time D.J.'s examination started, I had several ideas of what I wanted his helmet to look like. But, alas, the therapist said that although D.J.'s head was a little flat on one side, it really wasn't bad enough to warrant him wearing a helmet 23 hours a day. I was disappointed for about 3 milliseconds and quickly got both of us out of that office.

To celebrate D.J.'s escape from the helmet, we decided it was time to get his first haircut. Now, we already had a hair celebration for Veronica - after months of chanting over her bald head, she finally grew enough hair to have pigtails.

Unfortunately, the pigtails only last until naptime, if that.

Anyway, last weekend we took D.J. to Cool Cuts, a salon that specializes in kids' haircuts. The little customers get to watch cartoons or play video games while their hair is being cut. If only all hair salons were like this. D.J. did great, even though he had to sit on my lap (it was very crowded and all the car and fire engine seats were taken). Veronica entertained him by playing the video game.

What are they doing?

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful

We think he looks great - he is such a big boy now!! Veronica also wanted a new look, but we decided to have her wear a hat instead.

Now if we could only do something with Maggie's hair...

A Silly Snowy Day

2007-01-18T12:03:00.000-08:00

Yes, it does snow in Texas. However, it doesn't happen often enough for any of the local governments to invest in any kind of infrastructure that deals with inclement weather. As such, when it ices, snows, or sleets any amount, the whole DFW area basically shuts down because the roads get bad and there is no way to fix them. So yesterday we had a "snow day" and Daddy got the day off. But as you can see in the pictures, the amount of snow that stuck is kind of pathetic and would cause anyone from the northeast or midwest to roll on the floor and laugh. We don't care. We didn't have to work.

Even though there weren't moutains of snow, it was still enough for Veronica to get excited about seeing patches of white on the ground. So we decided to get some use out of the snowsuit D.J. got for his Baptism and go for a family walk.

All dressed up

I can't move in this thing!

Even Maggie dressed for the occasion:

We had so much fun watching Maggie run after snowballs.

It's still below freezing today, but the roads are clear and Daddy is back at work. Hey, I know it's not "real" snow to many of you, but I'll take what I can get.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Birthday...What else did we miss?

2007-01-15T13:35:00.000-08:00

I was was informed that some people actually read this blog, so I decided that maybe I should update it. Has it been a month already? Jeez, we are in 2007! This year has started out well for us and we are slowly getting used to being a 4-member family. Rather than give you a play-by-play of what has happenend over the past month, I'll provide you with the condensed version:

D.J.'s Baptism

Erek had to go to the Bay Area for work, so we decided to make it a family trip. The highlight was when D.J. received the Sacrament of Baptism at St. Mary Parish in Gilroy, California. This is the church that I grew up in; I even worked there as a night receptionist when I was in high school. Lolo and Lola are still participating parishoners. Anyway, since all of our family lives in California (as do D.J. and Veronica's godparents, Nicole and Matthew), we decided to have him baptized at St. Mary's.

With the Grandparents

We got home on the December 17th, just in time to get ready for Christmas. December is a busy month for our family. Not only do we have the holidays, but Portia and Erek as well as Lolo and Lola celebrate their anniversaries on the 18th and the 28th, respectively. To top it off, there are four birthdays - Aunt Kara (11th), Grandpa (22nd), Aunt Lara (31st) and now D.J. (30th).

D.J.'s first Christmas was very exciting. Lolo and Lola came and stayed with us until after New Year. We went to the Children's mass on the 24th and Veronica was very excited to see the Christmas pageant. She will be old enough to participate next year and says she wants to play the part of the Star of Bethlehem. Christmas morning was wonderful, too. This was the first year Veronica seemed excited to open presents, so of course she had to "help" D.J. open his.

Happy 1st Birthday, D.J.!

On D.J.'s birthday, we went to the Galleria Mall in Dallas to hear singer and storyteller, Mr. Willy. After frolicking in the play area, it was time to go home for cake. We were very surprised when D.J. attacked and devoured his piece. It made for great pictures!

Before cake

After cake

The holidays are over and we are pretty much back to normal, or at least trying to figure out what normal is. Both Veronica and D.J. got sick during all the hoopla, which for D.J. means that his asthma acts up as well. As such, we have to work in more breathing treatments, medications, and doctor visits into our days. D.J. is a very easy-going kid, but the one thing he hates is taking medication.

Well, that's us for now. Happy 2007 everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving, Welcome Christmas Season!

2006-12-01T22:18:00.000-08:00

"I'm cute and I tire my parents out!"

Anyone who knew me in college is well aware of the fact that when I was 19, I could survive on four hours of sleep a night. No such luck anymore - by the time Veronica and D.J. finally go to sleep, I'm ready to conk out and not wake up until she pokes me at 6:00 in the morning. This new sleep pattern has resulted in many projects remaining unfinished, mainly laundry, my dissertation, and this blog.

Thanksgiving has passed and we welcome another Holiday season. We were originally going to spend the long weekend in our sweats and eating turkey, but our friends from church graciously invited us to Thanksgiving dinner. It was D.J.'s first public party - and he was a hit! Of course, Mommy and Daddy forgot to take any pictures, so we hope someone will graciously email us some digital copies (hint, hint). Veronica had a great time, too. She spent the whole time following around a five-year old girl name Olivia. This was great for Olivia, who was used to being the youngest kiddo at every family function.

So now reel in Christmas. One thing we have accomplished was taking our family Christmas photo, which I am proud to say includes our mutt, Maggie. It took several takes and Maggie's eyes still look freaky, but at least everyone is looking in the same general direction.

We were very pleased with Veronica, for whom it takes an act of God to make her smile. Don't believe me? Check out her preschool picture:

Erek's trick was to tickle her at just the right moment for our family picture.

Anyway, along with all the holiday happenings, many things are going on in the House of Borowski. D.J. saw a pediatric pulmonologist this week, who thinks many of his problems may be due to reflux. We are following his orders carefully, but only time will tell if this protocol will help him. However, he has been sleeping well (most of the time), but you can tell that his tummy hurts when he does wake up.

On Monday, our social worker will be making her first post-placement visit. For those of you unfamiliar with the adoption process, several post-placement reports have to be written after a child from Korea is placed with a family. After these reports are finished (for us it will be May of 2007), we can file to legally adopt D.J. As you may guess, May cannot come fast enough for us.

So that's the update for this week. Until next time....

What a week!

2006-11-17T12:39:00.000-08:00

D.J.'s first week at home has been anything but boring.

As mentioned before, D.J. had been diagnosed with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, a lung conditon that often affects preemies. He had been hosptialized twice in Korea for pneumonia and bronchilitis. Well, this past weekend marked hosptialization number three, and the first in the United States. D.J. had been getting over some kind of bug after we came home, so he had been coughing a lot. On Sunday, it was apparent that he was having trouble breathing. This, of course, sent us into a panic. We took him to the emergency room at Medical Center of Plano where they promptly gave him a breathing treatment and some steroids. He felt better and his lungs were clear in a matter or hours, but we still had to stay the night.

Breathing treatments are fun!

D.J. was such a trooper. He flirted with the nurses and smiled at all of the staff. Everyone commented on what a handsome and happy baby we had. Also, we were in the same hospital where Veronica was born and spent the first month of her life. D.J.'s nurses was one of Veronica's nurses when she was in the NICU and remembered us. She was so happy to see how much Veronica had grown and what a great big sister she is!

Joking around with Veronica

Anyway, D.J.'s doctor feels that he may have asthma. She said she does not usually make that diagnosis in a baby so young, especially without knowledge of a (biological) family history. However, since he was responding to the treatment, we may as well call it asthma for now. D.J. is now subjected to a regimen of breathing treatments and medications, which has made him feel better. Erek and I, on the other hand, are completely exhausted.

Other than our hospital experience, life in our house has been good. D.J. is a sweet and curious little boy who loves meeting new people. He loves his big sister and you can tell he wishes he can run and keep up with her. In time, D.J., in time. For now, stick to your commando crawl.

Home Sweet Home

2006-11-11T12:42:00.000-08:00

Father and son together at last

Sorry we haven't updated the blog in so long; we've been a little tired. Portia and D.J. came home safe and sound on Wednesday afternoon. I picked them up from the airport and met him for the first time. He sure is a cute little guy, but suprisingly big - he looks bigger than his picture! He is actually about the same weight as Veronica! However, Veronica is a lot taller but much more petite. When we got home, Veronica was a little confused, but she was soon excited to see "Baby", which is what she calls D.J. We have been fortunate that she has not shown too many signs of jealousy.

The next day we took D.J. to the pediatrician. She said that he is doing well. He weighed 21 lbs 10 oz. He's about 27 in. tall. D.J. slept great most of the way home from Seoul, and we found out why at the Dr.s office - his cough syrup had codeine in it! Mommy was thinking, "I wish I could have had some!"

Other than that, we've been trying to get D.J. used to the new time zone (Seoul is 9 hours different from Dallas). At the same time he seems to have some teeth coming in, so the poor guy has been hit with a double whammy.

Lola (Grandma in Tagalog) has been having a great time with both Grandkids, but sadly has to go home tomorrow. Portia and I are trying to get ready for the challenge of taking care of two small children on our own. It will be interesting.

Anyways, before I start rambling, I will say goodbye. Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure. - Erek

Meeting his sister for the first time -
We asked Veronica to show him her toys, so she brought him an ear of corn.

Our family

With Lola

Our favorite picture

We're ready to go home

2006-11-07T04:23:00.000-08:00

My son is sleeping!

At 2:30, I signed the final papers from Holt and they handed Kim Dong Joon to me. The fact that the adoption will not be finalized until we are back in the United States didn't take away the intense feeling that I was finally holding my son. I cannot wait to get him home to his father and sister!

The whole thing was pretty emotional for D.J.'s foster mother as well. She has fostered 21 children for Holt and has seen them all go to new families, but she still feels a sense of loss after each one is gone from her home. D.J. was also with her for 7 months, which is longer than a lot of children have stayed with her in the past. I promised her I would send pictures and updates. She is an amazing woman and we will be forever grateful to her and her family.

I went back to the guesthouse expecting D.J. to cry the whole time, but instead he was very happy and facinated with everything around him. He loves being held by everyone and has a very contagious laugh. We have done a lot of mother-son bonding as well and he seems to have attached to me quickly. Whenever I leave him with someone, he always seems to look for me every few minutes. Warms my heart.

Here are a few shots:

First bath with Mama

Notice the shirt?

So, tomorrow we are leaving for our journey back to Texas. Let's hope his pleasant demeanor lasts for the long journey home. Daddy and Veronica - here we come!

Today I met my boy...

2006-11-06T00:04:00.000-08:00

What is it like to meet your son for the first time after you have been looking at only a picture for five months? I cannot begin to tell you. I'll just show you:

Me and D.J. shortly after we met

Look at my handsome son

With D.J.'s foster mom

At 3:00 today, I went to the Holt offices in Seoul to meet Dong Joon for the first time. I got there 20 minutes early and nervously paced around the meeting room. Then I saw Dong Joon's foster mother come in - I knew it was her from the video we had received. She saw me, pointed and said something to D.J. in Korean. I don't speak Korean, but I did recognize one word, "Umma," which means "Mama." She was telling him that I was his Mama!

When she handed him to me, he looked kind of confused. But then he saw my hair and started to pull. In the other hand, he was carrying the stuffed dog we had sent him two months ago. His foster mom said it was his favorite toy - he never goes anywhere without it! She also had a lot of things to give me, including a hanbok, a traditional Korean dress, for D.J. Then she surprised me further - she also bought a hanbok for Veronica! She thought the pictures of Veronica were so cute so she had to get her some clothes, too. And the biggest treat of all were two photo albums filled with pictures of D.J. I now have something to show him of his life with his foster family.

After a long conversation with the social worker, I learned a lot about my son. They tell me he is a happy child who loves people and being around other children. He is crawling and getting into drawers. He loves rice with soybean paste. His foster mom sings hymns to him when he gets fussy. I am overwhelmed with all this information, but I am just so happy to finally be able to hold my little boy.

We went to see the doctor and D.J. received a clean bill of health. We talked a lot about her concerns about his prematurity, but she was happy to find out that we have preemie experience. He will be placed in my custody tomorrow at 2:00 pm. It was hard to leave him today, but at least I will have time to prepare myself and get some baby supplies before I have him!!

I have a lot more to say, but it's hard to put all my feelings into words right now. Today was just amazing.

Images from Seoul

2006-11-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

I'm still exhausted, but I thought I would share some of what I saw today.

Podocheong parade in Insadong

Insadong

And since Erek told you about my shower, here's a picture to clarify:

Yes, it's just a faucet in the corner of the bathroom. It worked very well and I was surprised that everything in the bathroom stayed pretty dry. I'm wondering if this concept would work well in our master bathroom in Plano.

When I arrived in Seoul, I was determined to do at at least a little sightseeing. I went to Insadong, a little neighborhood that the Lonely Planet describes as "The small, compact district [which is] one of the few parts of Seoul to retain an atmosphere of the past" (p. 52 - you can decide the cheese factor in that quote. I'm too tired to comment on it). The neighborhood itself was great - lots of wonderful food to try and shops to look around. Then I realized that there was a parade going on. After a little investigation and stumbling upon a banner with an English translation, I learned that the parade was called Podocheong, described as a " unofficial historical drama to revive the security culture during the Chosun Dynasty." Check out the link.

http://www.jongno.go.kr/english/attraction/insadong02_sub05.jsp

As Erek said, tomorrow I meet D.J. At 3:00, his foster mother will bring him to the Holt office and we will have a one-hour meeting. Then on Tuesday, he is put in my arms forever. I'm a little overwhelmed.

Keep us in your thoughts tomorrow!

Portia is in Korea, hopefully sleeping

2006-11-05T11:34:00.000-08:00

I spoke with Portia at 7:00 this morning, which was 10:00 PM in Korea. She arrived safely yesterday (well today, Sunday, for us) at about 1:00 PM. I couldn't understand her very well on the phone - it was either the cell phone she was using, the calling card I was using, or just the fact that it's such a long distance between here and there. Oh, the reason she has a cell phone is that she rented one for a few days at about 3 dollars per day. Not a bad price, but it's $1 a minute to call home! However, when I call her it's free, other than my calling card charges.
She arrived at the Holt Social Services guest house (a Korea based Social Services program) in the afternoon and met up with another family, the King family I believe, and had dinner with them. She said that the guest house was nice, and there was hardly anyone staying there. The shower was interesting, it sounds like it's just a faucet in a huge bathroom. I guess you just have to lift the faucet up when you want to wash your hair? It will be interesting to see if Portia can figure out a way to give Dong Joon a bath on Tuesday night.
Well as Portia said, she is just waiting until Monday afternoon when she can see Dong Joon for the first time. So be thinking about us at about 3:00 PM Korea time, which is midnight Texas time, 10:00 PM California time. Hopefully Portia can post some more info after their meeting. - Erek

At least I made it to the right continent

2006-11-04T02:44:00.000-08:00

After an uneventful flight, I arrived in Tokyo to find out that my flight to Seoul was cancelled. The good news is that I have another flight in the morning. The bad news is that my sightseeing plans are out the window.

But I will not fret. I am scheduled to meet my son on Monday afternoon and they will place him in my arms forever on Tuesday. That's all that matters.

Okay...I promise my NEXT post will be from Korea.

I hope this is it

2006-11-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

What a week this has been! Last Thursday night, I was planning to post a "send me off to Korea" message on this blog when we got the call. My son wasn't ready to come home. He was in the hospital with bronchilitis and would probably be there for a week.

The whole week was very emotional for all of us. We had gone from feeling so excited about finally welcoming Dong Joon into our family to immense worry about his health and well-being. Every day we would anxiously await for a phone call from our agency, but the daily reports did not yield much information. And of course there was the disappointment of having to wait longer to bring him home. We yearned to hold our boy and be with him.

Finally, today we got some good news. Dong Joon would be discharged from the hospital and be ready to travel. We were asked if we wanted to pick him up or have him escorted. Of course I immediately said I would go and pick him up. Ever since we knew we were going to adopt Dong Joon, I dreamed of traveling to his place of birth to see where he spent his first months of life. I want to tell him all about it when it is time for him to visit his birthplace.

Although we are very happy to be making this journey, we are also a little sad that we cannot make the trip as a family. Erek and I agonized over this. We would have liked to both go and meet Dong Joon and possibly bring Veronica, but we decided that the whole trip would be too difficult to make with both children. We also did not want to leave Veronica home without one of us to stay with her. She has never been away from both of us for more than a day. We want her to have a positive experience when she meets her little brother for the first time! We hope that someday we can go to Korea and the Philippines as a family so both of our children will learn about their unique ancestries.

My bags are packed. My documents are in order. I don't think I will get much sleep tonight. Hopefully I will get to post while I am in Seoul. Otherwise I will have Erek update the blog. So for now, I'm signing off.

About us - Our journey to adoption

2006-10-25T06:11:00.000-07:00

(korean character for Ka-jok/Family)

Since we have been telling people about Dong Joon, I have been fielding a lot of questions - When did you decide to adopt? How long did it take? Is Veronica adopted? So, I thought I would give everyone a little background, since most people know only pieces of our story (I guess Erek and I don't give a lot of details to people).

When Erek and I have been married for almost seven years (go us!). We were blessed with a daughter (with the help of modern medicine) on September 8, 2004. Veronica Maria Ilumniada was born at 32 weeks gestation and weighed a whopping 2 pounds, 7 ounces. Here is a picture of a very tiny Veronica:

And this is Veronica today:

Even though we had a wonderful (yet tumutuous) experience with Veronica's birth, we decided that adoption was the best way for us to build our family. We began the process in October of 2005 with Wide Horizons for Children. We chose that agency because we were originally going to adopt from the Philippines and WHFC is one of the only agencies that has a Philippine program. We were told the process would take about two years, so we decided to start right away. However, after we started our homestudy in January, we ran into a few problems (which I won't get into) and we realized we were unable to continue with the Philippine program. Needless to say, we were very disappointed, as we were already a Filipino-American family.

About Dong Joon

After a lot of soul searching, we decided not to leave WHFC and try to adopt a "waiting child" from their listing. We figured it would still be a while for us to be ready to adopt, but then we saw him. Last March, as I saw Dong Joon's picture for the first time. Before I go on, I should explain that many of the waiting children that are listed as "ready" to be adopted have correctable medical conditions or disabilities. Dong Joon, like Veronica, was born prematurely (28 weeks) and weighed 2 1/2 pounds at birth. At the time, our paperwork was not finished and we were not able to ask for more information, but I would check every day to see if he was still available for adoption. Erek was intrigued as well, but be were sure some other family would adopt him before we were ready. But that wasn't the case - when we finally approved by the Department of Homeland Security to adopt from overseas, Dong Joon was still looking for a family. In August, we were formally matched and we were approved for travel this week.

Anyway, we can't believe that by this time next week Dong Joon (or "D.J.", which we might call him) will be in our custody. We will have a son - and Veronica will have a little brother!