Eric And Jill Went Up A Hill: Day 2 - Our First Meeting With Joshua!

Friday was our first full day in S. Korea, and we were scheduled to have our first meeting with Joshua and his foster parents. Feeling nervous, anxious, excited, scared, and even uncertain all ran through our minds and hearts as we woke up and were getting ready. What would our one hour with Joshua look like? How would he respond to us? Would we be able to learn everything we wanted to learn from the foster parents about how to care for him? Would he be able to understand that we are his parents? We were about to find out, and we were having a hard time waiting for the clock to get to 10:50, the time when we were asked to arrive downstairs at the agency to meet with our case worker first and then Joshua.

After having a little breakfast and doing a quick walk around the neighborhood to find a bank and grocery store (only found the bank, not the grocery store), we came back upstairs to our room and did some last minute prep before heading down. Gifts for the foster family? Check. Gifts for Joshua's case worker? Check. Toy and baby care donations, along with a few care packages from other families waiting for their kids? Check and check. After having everything ready to go, we spent a few final minutes praying for our meeting with Joshua, took a few pictures, and headed downstairs to the office where we were told to meet our case worker.

After some initial paperwork and interaction with her, we were led upstairs to the playroom where Joshua and his foster family were waiting for us. The moment we walked in the door and saw Joshua for the first time was, in short, almost unexplainable. The rush and excitement of meeting him for the first time was finally met with reality - he is here! We are here! We are finally together! I don't think words can adequately describe our thoughts and feelings at that moment, except that we were overwhelmed with joy, excitement, and love for our son that we had, to that point, only known through a few pictures and brief medical updates we received every couple of months.

We were quickly introduced to his foster family - his foster mom, and her three older daughters, one of which also brought her husband. Their warm, joyful "hellos" and smiles helped create a very comfortable, fun atmosphere to be in as we interacted with Joshua. Here we were, two different families - unique in our culture, language, backgrounds, and geographic location, yet brought together by the common love and affection we have for this 23 month old little boy. What an amazing thought to think about. What an amazing bond we share.

The foster family brought Joshua over to us and Jill gave him a big, long hug. Powerful and amazing. Nathan & Brooke started engaging with him soon after, and we all enjoyed some playtime with Joshua, while laughing and smiling at his interaction and playful spirit that we all saw through his actions and smiles. Up and down the slide he went, in and out of the play car he sat. This boy loved to be active! Although a bit cool and reserved at first, Joshua warmed up to us as our time in the room went on, eventually letting us hold him, tickle him, and feed him some snacks that we had brought along.

As is custom to do at this first meeting, we gave gifts to the foster family, which they enjoyed and were very appreciative of. Likewise, the foster family brought some gifts for us, as well as a bag of clothes for Joshua and a few of his favorite toys and videos. Along with some food or drink items they gave us (some were Joshua's favorites, some were for us), they made some really creative t-shirts for our entire family with pictures of all five of us on it. They also made a beautiful hardcover photo book of Joshua's first two years, and another large photo album of pictures for us (with two jumpdrives that contained all the photos on them). It was evident to us that they all had a very deep love and attachment to Joshua during his first two years, and wanted us to have a record of this precious time with them. We were overwhelmed by their gratefulness and are so thankful for these precious gifts!

We interacted with Joshua throughout the entire hour we were in the room with him, taking a few pictures and video, as well as talking with the foster mom and daughters to learn more about Joshua and how we can best care for him and his needs. Too much to share here on the blog, but suffice to say, he's full of energy, smiles, and a cute little grin that can turn into all out giggles when he's tickled in the right spot. He also has a sense of adventure and exploring, so we'll see where that takes us in the years to come..... = )

Near the end of our time, after a great time of playing and interacting with him, he began getting tired and being ready for his nap. With that in mind, we wrapped up our time with him and the foster family and said our good-bye's, but only until Monday...when we will see him again and have the official transfer of him to us.

After our meeting, we were able to meet up with Rachel and Jared and grab some lunch and do some exploring in the city. Since it was a beautiful day here in Seoul, we decided to tour Gyeongbokgung Palace, one of many famous palaces here in the city. As we walked around and toured the grounds, we were amazed by the beauty and intricate artwork that was crafted into every building we saw. We also checked out Dongdaemun Market, one of the many street markets that are popular here in Seoul where many shop and find good deals on a variety of items. This specific market had a focus more on textiles, shoes, and clothes, and we found a few fun things at a pretty good deal. But after a long day of meeting Joshua, walking around the large palace grounds, and then shopping at a market, we were ready for bed! A quick subway ride home and we were in bed for the night!

Overall, our first full day here in Seoul was one of overwhelming emotion and thoughts due to our first meeting with Joshua, but one that will be permanently impressed upon our hearts as the day we were introduced to our son for the very first time.

Brooke perhaps said it best when we were coming back to our guesthouse at the end of the day. While carrying her through one of our subway stops, she wearily looked up at me and said in her sweet little voice, "I just want to see Joshua again." And then put her head back down on my shoulder to rest.

Yes, sweetie, we all do. And next time, we won't need to say good-bye.