-He is going to bed at 9pm and waking up at 9am. He takes one nap a day, usually from 2-4pm. He's a GREAT sleeper and loves his crib. We are so glad that we chose to put him in his room immediately - he has absolutely thrived.
-He loves church! He goes to Lifegroup (Sunday School) for 2 hours on Sunday mornings, Praise Builders (music class) on Sunday nights, and a class on Wednesday nights for an hour while Kurt and I are in choir rehearsal. He loves it all! He has consistent teachers in each class, so he knows what to expect. He loves interacting with other children and as long as he's able to be active and busy, he's happy.
-He is the biggest flirt we've ever seen. He doesn't do this all the time, but often he will just start "working" the room he's in and smile this huge adorable smile at the ladies. Christmas Eve we were at a get-together and he just walked up to a couple of ladies he had never seen and stood right in front of them, smiling. Of course they thought he was adorable, but what was even funnier is that he was clearly flirting. It wasn't just innocent smiling. He would tilt his little head and cut his eyes sideways just for emphasis. :)
-He doesn't favor me or Kurt more than the other. He's an equal opportunity guy. He goes through little phases (a couple of days at a time) where he'll really want to be near Kurt and have him pick him up, but overall he really enjoys being with both of us.
-He adores Evy! Adores her. He also knows how to irritate her - ha! Like I've referenced before, he will touch everything that's "hers" just to get a reaction. She screams "NO LIM!" (That's how it sounds when she says "Liam.") If I had a dime for every time I heard "NO LIM!!!!!!!" I would be a bazillionaire. However, after they've been separated (at nap time, bedtime, or at church), the reunion is always so cute.
-We have our nighttime routine, and lately he has started "singing" when we sing "Jesus Loves Me." He just kind of makes noise, but we know that's him contributing to the singing along with us. So sweet!
-He can say "Juice," "Gentle" and "Dah" (Kurt). I think I'm "Mama" to him. He can pretty much say "Shoe" and he will shake his head and say "Uh uh" to mean he doesn't want something. He mostly still uses "Dis" (this), "Dat" (that) and "Muh" (whatever he wants it to mean!). He does a LOT of pointing. Lately he has started using more motions. At bath time last night, I was undressing Evy and he got my attention and started pulling on his clothes. He will also pat whatever he's trying to get you to understand.
-He has become VERY attached to a blanket that Kurt's mom made him! He doesn't carry it ALL the time, but he definitely wants it whenever he sleeps, and there are times when he just gets fussy and I know that's what he's meaning to tell me.
-He still has his little hoarse voice. We thought it might be caused by congestion in Korea when we first got him, but we're starting to think it's just how his voice is! It's so cute.
-Liam very much has a strong-willed personality and sometimes struggles with authority (obviously all kids do at times, but he falls into the "often" category - ha!). We've noticed that even though he hates boundaries, he thrives with them. He responds very, very well to routine and now he instantly responds when we say "No." We've noticed that once we correct him a few times with a behavior, he quickly learns and rarely repeats it. We're very, very quick to praise him for that! He's extremely smart, which is a wonderful trait!
-He loves his extended family and has bonded with my parents, siblings, Kurt's parents, etc. He recognizes his family and gives cuddles and loves. We've observed that he seems to have a special relationship with my dad, and I think that stems from Korea. I think he really remembers my dad being there along with us, and it's so incredibly sweet.
Speaking of Korea, today in church I randomly had a very vivid flashback to the day we got him, on October 18th. I remembered being in the Holt Reception Center and seeing SO MANY babies there with their foster mothers. It made me appreciate and remember where Liam came from. It also made me thank God again that he was raised by such an incredible family for a year. I've been going back through all of the files and pictures they gave us of him (I'll share a few at some point), and it's overwhelming. The gratitude I feel is just overwhelming. There are pictures/video of his Foster Mom playing with him at a Gymboree Gym in Seoul (yes, they have one there!). Little things and outings like that where I saw the love and fun they shared. So I wanted to write a little note, just in their honor.
Dear Foster Family,
Jae-ho is doing so well! He is adjusting wonderfully and is so full of life. We are so incredibly grateful that he is in our family, and we are especially thankful to the Lord that you were his foster family. We've seen over and over how much you invested in him and how much love you gave him. THANK YOU. Thank you for pouring God's love into him and preparing Jae-ho for us. He is 18 months old today and is as adorable as ever. His first Christmas was a joy and he loved all of the fun things we did. He got many fun gifts and we even gave him some things from Korea that we had bought. We pray for you constantly. We're lifting you up as you are living out the Gospel in Seoul - loving those babies who have no one else to love them. We love you all!
Happy 18 months, precious boy!
