Kijin's Adoption Lifebook - scrapbooking begins ! Kijin 1month home today !

Hi all....It's been awhile !

WE had a great Easter weekend. WE had Ed's brother and family come for a nice visit on Saturday! We also had friends over on Good Friday!

Kyler and Ed are still working on the castle structure. It's coming along....I will post pictures later on!

I am going to start a project on my own ! I use to scrapbook a lot, and I have not done it in forever ! But I have to get going on Kijin's Adoption Lifebook ( scrapbook), so I have decided to do some research and see what I have on hand already to begin. For those who have done one of these or come across some Korean scrapbooking supplies, paper, stickers, cut outs etc, please let me know ! I will be on the hunt for these !

Soothie-Pacifier update :

I have an online friend who has also adopted from South Korea. Her mother lives in the UK- and has bought her lightbulb soothies in the past ! She offered me her spare ones ! Yippee !! I hope they work.....they are in Kitchener with my parents at the moment and we will have to make our way there again soon to give them a try !!! I will keep ya posted on this !!!

Kijin is doing really well ! He has been home with us for 1 month !! He is eating and sleeping great ! What a blessing that is !!!! Teething like crazy---walking to and fro from the furniture, stands by himself--walking may not be too far from the future !!

Well happy April everyone !

K.E.K.K Wiersma

Early Easter celebration....snow.....and the hunt for a soothie !!!

Hi all....it's been awhile ...been a bit busy !!!

Last Sunday, we headed off to Kitchener again and had an early Easter celebration with the Marshalls. Had a great time, a lovely dinner and of course Nana and Grandad gave all the grandchildren Easter gifts :) Everyone got a loaded basket and some summer clothes ! While we were there, it snowed the whole time we were there !!!!! Snow in mid April??? We also celebrated Eds birthday a bit early ( April 29th ) and had a huge cake !

Kijin and I are still on the hunt for a "Lightbulb" shaped soothie......we have a few leads to check out ...I got an email connection with a family who also adopted from South Korea and had the same issue....She may have a spare one for us !!! Yippy !!!!

Kijin and I also went to our church MOPS group. ( Mothers of Preschoolers) The mothers meet every other Wednesday to talk about all sorts of different topics. I was a part of this group 9 years ago when I was home with Kyler ! Many new moms and some I have recognized who are now leading or helping out in the group.

Kijin is doing well. Sleeping good.....( so far ) and eating good.....adjusting well....He was 10 months old on Monday the 18th. We got his Health Card the other day in the mail ! Yeah !!

We are off to a baby and mom group at the library !!!
Have a wonderful Easter long weekend !!!

Karen, Ed, Kyler, Kijin Wiersma = K.E.K.K. Wiersma

Kijin on for grade 4 "ShowNTell"

Hi all !! Kyler's classroom has been praying and waiting for his brother Kijin to join our family for a few grades now ! So Kyler wanted Kijin to come to his classroom and show him off ! LOL ! So Kijin and I went yesterday to Kyler's grade 4 classroom at his school. As soon as we arrived at the classroom door, we were swarmed with grade 4 students !!! Kyler of course "announced us " into his classroom. We had to sit up at the front of the room , and have Kyler pick the show of hands one at a time for a question or two for us !

We explained the adoption process a little bit first, and how God blessed us with Kijin to join our family. Some questions were very basic since they were very serious and wanted to know a few things !

* What was Kijin's favourite food or toy?

* What does he eat?

* Is he happy?

* What happened to his mom and dad? - I answered this as best as I could and basically told them that his birth parents could not look after him so God wanted our family to love and care for him instead.

* " I forgot what I was going to ask you Mrs.Wiersma"

* Does Kyler help change his diaper?? " No, not really I said, he just stands by and watches and stands clear of any poopy diapers ! Kyler says, " My shift is never over ! "

* Did we like Korea? --YES ! We were there for 6 days and enjoyed it very much !

* " I am adopted too !" One grade 4 girl said ! GREAT! I said, thats fantastic !

* Does he cry? - Yes ! But he is adjusting well !

I think that was about it, we did not stay long , it was a quick visit ! But I think the whole school knows now that Kyler has a little brother ! :)

Thank you for all those at his school who were praying for us and were patiently waiting along with Kyler for his new brother to arrive !

Doctor Vist--First needle in Canada--so it begins

Hi all !!! Kijin had another doctor appointment today. We had to see a Pediatrician who specializes in international diseases in children. He has worked in the Toronto Sick Children's Hospital Unit for awhile and now has his own practice in Ajax. My personal doctor recommended Kijin to get checked just in case to make sure that the shots he already got in South Korea were updated and accepted in Canada. So today, we saw the Pediatrician who was very happy to see Kijin in good health. He was also thankful that I had brought all Kijin's health paperwork and that he was up to date in his shots up to this point ! Now it begins to get all his mandatory shots in Canada before he goes to a day care or school. Kijin was also weighed, measured and checked over. All is well :) He did get a needle today- brave little guy just sat there and did not peep at all ! Made me feel much better ! However- hopefully he does not react to any of them and we will have to keep a good eye on him after each needle. We will return to the Pediatrician's office some time in July and think about what he recommended. HE advises to get Kijin's blood work checked to make sure the shots he got in South Korea are working and to make sure nothing is found inside his little body to cause a concern. So all in all it went well ! Whew ! But in a week or so , we will go back to my doctor for another needle ! UGH !! I sooooo remember doing this with Kyler. He hated it ! Screamed in the car all the way home from Scarborough to Oshawa ! He did react to one of the first needles , then he was fine after that. :)

The Pediatrician does not see many adoptive children who come from South Korea and who are cared for in a Foster Home. He usually sees children who come from orphanages with much more minor health issues. So thank goodness for doctors like him who are able to do this and specialize in this field !!! Kijin is napping now !!! YEAH !

Karen and Kijin

Weekend Words...a new hair cut, a bird and a castle......

Hi all ! I hope your weekend is going well ! Well, I had to cut my hair- get a new style because Kijin keeps pulling on it and I have no time for looking after longer hair anymore ! When I got home-I decided to put in my own blonde high-lites ! Did it work? Nope--turned my hair a bit red ! Oh well...who cares ! Its only hair and I will try it again another time !!! Glad for it to be cut though !!!! Our poor bird that was stuck in the chimney stack- died :( but Ed got it out before it started to smell or rot in the fire place. YUCK !! Poor thing....oh well.....its buried in my flower garden now!! Kyler has a huge castle project due in May- So Ed and Kyler are in the works planning it out to build it with wood and other materials--should be interesting....Last summer , Kyler and I had to build the CN TOWER--lol--that was easy !!! Ed's turn to build the castle!!!! ( I get to supervise, give advice, and suggest where they can get the materials ) I'll keep ya posted as we go along ! Kijin is doing really well...He had 2 great nights of sleeping through the night...I am trying the nap-once a day--2-4pmish --so he can be in bed for 8pmish--hope this works !!!! WE ran out of the formula they gave us before we left....yesterday had to try the Goodstart Formula-so far so good. WOW ! $$$$$$$$ ! I forgot how much it is for one full can of Formula ! Anywhere from 24-30$ ! My goodness---I hope to just keep him on the formula until he is 1 year old--then its Homo milk right? Anyways......enjoy your weekend.....April showers brings May flowers !!!! K.E.K.K Wiersma

Thank you

Hi all !!

We would like to thank everyone for their emails, cards, phone calls and gifts ! We also thank you for your prayers, support and offers to give us a hand when needed:) It is a true blessing that we were able to add another addition to our family ! WE both have a great family and friends ! Many thanks to everyone and come and visit us while I am off until December 2011 !!

Karen, Ed, Kyler and Kijin Wiersma

A Cold and a Bird Day !!! UGHHHHHHH !!!

Hi all ! Today Kijin has his first cold ! :( Runny nose and a bit of a fever ! It's the beginning of building his immune system I guess! UGH !!! So he is not a happy little guy today !! And to top if off, a bird flew into our chimmney stack ! ( or is it a squirrel ??) Poor little guy is flapping around and I can't get him out ! The only way out is up or through my family room fire place !!!! Ugh !!! I am hoping the thing survives until Ed can get him out when he gets home from work!!! I don't want to be listening to him trying to get out all day !!!!! EEEKKKKK !!! Now what ?????? Ugh ! What a morning !!!!!!!!!!!! Kijin is trying to sleep off his early morning wake up. ( 3:00am) I wonder what he will think of the noise coming from our fire place !!!?? UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!

Stay tuned !!! LOL !

Once again our "Mountcastle Animal INN" is open !!! ( In June 2009- we had a raccoon climb in our attic and make himself at home at 1:00am-we had to call animal control to get him out ! )

Karen and Kijin

Brothers :)

Brothers :) Kyler and Kijin Wiesma ! Kyler age 9, Kijin 9 months ! Kyler has been a great help and loves to play with his new brother ! Kyler can keep him distracted and play with him while I can have a quick shower, or doing something that needs to be done around the house ! Yippee ! We miss him when he goes to school ! We both say goodbye in the mornings to Kyler when he gets picked up for school. When Kyler gets back though, they both are excited to see eachother!

What a wonderful blessing to have 2 lovely boys :)

Karen

First Family Road trip to Kitchener ! Great Grandma Gilchrist turns 90!

Hi all ! On Saturday our family hit the road to Kitchener ! Great Grandma turns 90 ! First outing for Kijin-met his great grandmother , and all of his cousins, aunts and uncles ! Kijin did a great job in the car- after 1.5 hours , he had enough ! HE wanted out ! He did a great job meeting everyone, no making strange ! Smiles for everyone at least once :) His new cousins checked him out, especially the girls ! We had a great visit and headed home in late afternoon. Of course Kijin slept all the way home :)

His nights and days we think are now in order ! I found a "soothie" string to clip it to his shirt ! Whew ! We almost lost it one day !!! I still can't find a soothie here in Canada that matches his current one...this may be fun looking for this !!!

We get out at least once a day with him for a walk or out for a drive !! He is really doing well. I had to get out and get a good long gate for our family room, so now his play area is safe !

Now we are off to the mall !!!

Karen

First famiy photo of the 4 of us ! Look at that face !

Hi all !

Check out our first family photo !!! LOL--fussy time, he was not a happy boy !!!!

This was taken when Grandma and Grandpa Wiersma came over !

More to come ......... E.K.K.K ( in this photo ! )