HAPPY GOTCHA DAY, GRAHAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need to start this entry by admitting that it was never my intention to keep this blog going for so long. I started this online journal as a way for our friends and family to follow the progress in our adoption. I planned to stop updating it shortly after we returned home from Korea. Shortly after we returned home from Korea though, I realized that our story wasn't ending. It was actually completely the opposite, yes, we made it home safely with our son, but our journey as a family was just beginning. So, here it is, exactly one year since Graham arrived home, and the story continues...This was the scene at the airport on that wonderful evening!

Today we celebrate Graham's Gotcha Day. This is the anniversary of the day that we got Graham and Graham got us...forever and ever...after months and months of planning, longing, and hoping, and more months of clutching a photo of a baby a world away. This is the anniversary of the day that Graham became our wish come true...the day that we got to walk into our home with our son...the day we became a family. One year ago today, the three of us experienced the longest day of our lives. I mean that in the literal sense (we left Seoul at 10:00 am on September 20, and after flying for 14 hours, landed in Chicago at 10:20 am on September 20) and also the emotionally draining sense. We boarded the plane with a frightened, screaming baby, and left the plane with a frightened, screaming baby. Somewhere during that long flight, I began to have my own fear. What if Graham never accepted me as his Mother and more immediately, what if Graham never stopped crying??? Thankfully, my fears were unfounded. For those of you that met us at the airport, you know first hand that not only did Graham stop crying, but he greeted his fans with smiles and applause. It was almost as if he knew that he was home and in fact, he hasn't stopped smiling since! And about my internal fears regarding him accepting me as his Mother? Well, that was unnecessary worrying as well. Somewhere over the course of the past year, Graham learned to trust and love both his Mama and Dada. I can't pinpoint when all his changing occurred, but right before my eyes he's grown into a confident, happy, funny, smart, and affectionate little man that I'm so proud to call my son!

In honor of Graham, we thought we'd fill our day with activities that he'd enjoy. First on our list was the zoo where we met up with Halmoni and Halabeoji. Grandma and Grandpa Greer are currently floating around on a boat soaking up the Mediterranean sun so they were unfortunately not able to join us. Like usual, Graham enjoyed himself immensely as he growled at the animals...even the creatures that don't communicate with growls got a growl from our boy! After our animal filled morning, Graham was thrilled with his lunch of chicken fingers and mandarin oranges at the outdoor zoo cafe. He ate so much you'd think we never feed him!

After the zoo Graham treated himself to a 2.5 hour nap. To sleep this length of time in the afternoon is unheard of for him. I'm guessing the fresh air just tired him out, but I can naively hope that he's putting himself on a new schedule, right? The three of us had Graham's favorite meal (pasta carbonara) at home tonight, followed by a special cake for dessert. Since today was a day of celebration, I figured that a cake was a great way to add to that celebration. In honor of the journey Graham so bravely took to join his family, I put a toy airplane on the cake for him. As you can see in the following pictures, Graham decided that not only did his toy airplane "fly" but it also was the best "cake smasher" ever. I didn't have the heart to tell him "no". It was his celebration, so we played by his 19 month old rules. We did actually eat some of the cake before he demolished it though, and it was delicious!

Smash!

Two forks and a cake-what a lucky boy!

His little airplane has a face on it, and Graham was "feeding" him!

PS. I'm turning this blog into a book for Graham and today's "Happy Gotcha Day" entry, will be the last entry in his book. NO WORRIES though, the blog will continue, but an actual book can only handle so many pages! But, being that this will be the last page in his book, I invite all his fans to leave a note for him or our family. Your comments will be included in the book right along with today's entry. I think it would be nice for Graham to have an idea of all the people that have supported his family on the many different legs of our journey! Thank you!!!