Happy Birthday, Veronica!

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

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

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

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!

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

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 Recreation 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

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 allergies. 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

| Click to Play Now

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

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...