Each day we’re one day closer to Brooks and we’re officially in the stage where we can send care packages to him via our international adoption agency in Seoul, South Korea. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to for a very long time and it’s kind of surreal to go to a store and walk down aisles designated solely for babies. There was a time that I never thought I’d be able to walk past these sections without getting a sinking feeling in my chest. It’s been a weird transition going from avoiding baby things at all costs in order to protect our hurting hearts to diving head first into the world of 8-month-olds and trying to send our love across the world. The adoption process is a constant reminder, and this is one good example, of how God’s love and grace can heal absolute brokenness and create beauty amidst ashes. So now, if you see me frantically pacing the Target baby/toddler section and I look overwhelmed, it’s probably because I’m trying to decide how many things I can cram into one, tiny box and how I’m going to get it to the post office in time for it to arrive to Brooks every month.
We’ve been asked quite a bit about what we can and cannot send him, so I decided to just create a list of some of the things we’ve already sent him and some of the things we’ll be sending him. All care packages are shipped directly to our Korean agency and are valued under $100. We do not have direct contact with our foster family.
Care package
- Photo albums
- Soft books
- Clothes
- Pajamas
- Socks
- Teethers
- Bibs! (He’s a drooler!)
- Shoes (He’s already starting to walk!)
- Pacifiers
- Hats, gloves
- Snacks: puree pouches, Gerber puffs
- Board books
- Small electronic toys
- Small stuffed animals
- Toy cars, blocks, balls
- Diaper cream
- Lotion
- Baby toothbrush/toothpaste
- Soap, wash clothes, towels
- Small blankets
- Sippy cups
- Holiday themed toys or clothes or cards
- Bath toys
Foster family gifts
- Local WI items – WI or Milwaukee gifts
- Drinking cups
- Notebook and pens
- Small jewelry – necklaces, bracelets, watches
- Hats, mittens, scarves
- Snacks/candy
- Coffee/Tea
- Lotion
- Local Starbucks mugs
- Picture frame holding Brooks’ picture
I’ll be sharing pictures of some of our care packages over on Instagram because, let’s face it, it’s more fun to see cute baby things than it is to read about them. We’ve already sent out our first package and are working on the next couple packages right now.
We are hoping to get some updated pictures of Brooks soon and we cannot wait to get some of our first pictures of Brooks with some of the items we sent him.
Next steps
It seems unfair to create a blog post without explaining our next steps in the adoption process. Currently, we are still waiting for our U.S. adoption placing agency to review our dossier, so that it can then be mailed to Korea and translated, so that Brooks’ EP (Emigration Permit) can be submitted. You can follow the timeline on this page for what’s ahead in our journey.
Prayer request
Please pray boldly that our dossier is reviewed quickly and that it is ready to be mailed to Korea very soon, so that the emigration process can officially begin. Please also pray that our adoption continues to have movement, so that we aren’t stuck in any one phase for too long. Finally, please pray for Brooks that he remains healthy and happy while we fight to bring him into his forever home. We ask that God protects his little heart from the eventual loss he will be feeling when we go to get him. We pray that he’ll one day know how much his mommy and daddy love him (even before he was born) and would do anything for him. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
