A baby boy is on his way!

Surprise, everyone!!! We have a baby boy!

We are overjoyed to share the news that we are adding to our family: Owen Daniel Jongkook Bird was born February 10, 2007 in Busan, South Korea, and he is going to be ours!

Chip and I have long talked about adopting a baby boy from South Korea (we began the adoption process last fall), and we found out just last week that the time is right for us to bring a new little one into our home to love and raise.

Our official adoption paperwork was sent to Korea in early February, and we were told by our agency to expect a 5-7 month wait for a referral. Because the waiting process can be so tedious, we kept our plans a secret from nearly everyone (sorry, grandparents and aunties!). What a blissful surprise to have received our match after a mere four months – and to finally share the news with all of you!

It has been such a surprise for us, in fact, that we were rather ill-prepared for the phone call from our social worker, which came last Thursday, June 7, at 10 a.m. Chip was on his annual week-long fishing trip to Canada – completely out of reach – while I was sitting at a coffee shop eating a blueberry lemon scone. (Thankfully Caroline and Jane were at First Friends at the Y so they didn’t have to witness my complete undoing in a public place.) My cell phone rang and when I heard Julie’s voice saying, “Laura, you have a baby boy,” I experienced a near melt-down, weeping and shaking quite uncontrollably. I was physically moved by an instantaneous and all-consuming love for a child I didn’t even know yet.

After I picked up the girls from the Y in a daze, I did my best not to drive at a ridiculous speed to our social worker’s office. She had the official paperwork and photos of our baby, and I will not attempt to describe the moment that I saw his face for the first time. I’ve only experienced something like it once before, and that was when I looked at our daughters’ referral pictures from China. Each time, the earth shifted beneath my feet. I wouldn’t trade either of those moments for anything. (Well, I suppose I would have preferred Chip to be with me, but it certainly makes for a story we’ll never forget.)

Chip didn’t get home from his fishing trip until Saturday night, which was the longest two-and-a-half days I have ever known. He too was awestruck, thrilled and emotional – and the two of us have already spent many hours together, gazing at our son’s face in the photos, our only lifeline right now to this precious baby living halfway across the world. We could not be happier.

After a looong discussion that lasted nearly 12 hours, we decided to name our son Owen Daniel Jongkook Bird. His birthmother named him Jongkook, which our social worker told us doesn’t happen often (the birthmother bestowing a name on her child, I mean), so we are proud to incorporate it into his American name. We think he looks just like an Owen, and of course the Daniel is in honor of my father, the most gentle and patient “Daddo” my children could ask for.

Owen is healthy, well-adjusted and developmentally on-target. I am already in love with his pursed lips and chubby cheeks and beautiful gazing eyes. He is living with a foster family in Seoul, who we trust is taking good care of him until we can get him in our arms, hopefully this fall. If all goes according to plan (so please say many prayers), we will travel to Seoul for a week in September or October and are already looking forward to this awesome experience. Until then, I’ll have plenty of time to obsess about how we’ll fit three car-seats in the car, if Janie and Caro will step up as big sisters, and whether or not I’ll ever get any sleep again… (Though what excellent things to be able to obsess about.)

We feel blessed for the opportunity to be Owen’s parents. He sounds like the most delightful baby. In fact, I will close this very first journal entry with the words of his social worker in Seoul, who describes him as follows:

“Jongkook is charming healthy baby boy. He looks so lovely when he babbles making eye-contact with his foster mother. Currently, he grows up very well in care of foster home and I do hope he meet good adoptive parents soon and grow up more healthily and beautifully in continuous love and concern.”

Amen.

Thank you, to all our family and friends, for your prayers for Owen’s health and well-being until we can bring him home. And thanks for joining us on this remarkable journey.

Love to all,
Laura, Chip, Caroline and Jane