Thursday, May 29, 2008

A totem pole of faces....

Well, blogger won't let me upload any pictures--they must be having issues. Until then, you have to try to guess why the title of this entry is about a totem pole. I will try to remember to upload them later. Anyway, we spent Memorial Day weekend visiting DH's family in Minnesota. I, of course, took a ton of pictures! It was nice to get together, catch up and just have fun. We took the kids to the park a couple of times, because it was such beautiful weather. We headed home on Sunday, so we could have a day at home. It was nice to have DH at home with a day off to spend together as a family. Soon there will be four!! :-)

BirthMommy/Baby update: We went with "H" to her appointment on Tuesday. She is still measuring right on for almost 35wks. Other than that, no change. Starting with her next appt (weekly, now), she will be put on a non-stress test every appointment for about 30 minutes before she meets with the Dr. After her appointment on Tuesday, we all went to Culvers for dinner. Mmmmmmm. They are coming to our house to visit on Saturday, have dinner, then we are all going to a baseball game. "H's" mom got 4 tickets in the 3rd row from her employer. We are excited--it will be such a fun time!! I am sure there will pictures to follow...

I am trying to plan ahead and work on Bug's birthday party details....just in case the baby makes an early entrance into the world. I better get going on invitations...

Ok, I got the pictures to load--here they are (edited at 7pm):

Bug and her cousins riding the Gator
Erin playing at the park
Tara at the park
Tara, Erin and Bug on the slide
I took this picture of a bumble bee--it took about 10 shots to get this, but it finally worked!!
DH and Andrew swinging at the park
Just hanging out...
Andrew enjoying the slide
Erin getting a "under-dog" from her favorite uncle...
What girl isn't going to chase after him?? He is such a cutie!!
Aunt Kim helping Bug at yet, another park.
Bug and her cousin Tara swinging at the park
Bug loving the slides
Daddy not loving the slide too much, as he gets stuck in it.
I think this picture is hilarious....can you tell she is a determined little girl?? (she climbed this wall all by herself!)
Another favorite picture

Last but not least....our Family Totem Poles. From the bottom: Uncle Matt, Erin, Tara, Bug, and Grandpa.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

A pile of Life...

Here is what happens when the cereal cabinet is left open, and Mommy takes a shower not knowing that Daddy left the cabinet open, and Bug is hungry. What does Mommy do--No, she doesn't clean it up---She grabs the camera first!!! Can't miss out on a picture like that!! Cinnamon Life cereal is her favorite! When the girl is hungry, not much can stop her. Another example--tonight I was on the phone with my mom, and all of a sudden, I realized it was too quiet. Bug was up to something. Well, I go looking for her, and here she is eating a piece of bread. She had gotten the loaf of bread (don't ask me how--it was in the middle of the counter--we have to do that now, so that she can't reach things she shouldn't have), taken off the twist tie (that I have yet to find), and started eating. I am telling you, the girl isn't even two, and can fend for herself!! Haha...just kidding...sort of.

Well, we have been quite busy here...Saturday brought us getting together with "H" and her Mom, and meeting her Aunt and Grandma. We met at 4:30 and looked at lots of family pictures, and just chatted. After chatting, we went out to dinner that was Ohhhh, Soooo Yummy!! We ended up at "Noodles and Co." Lets just say, I will be going there again. After dinner, we headed back to "H's" and her Mom's house to chat some more. (Yes, yet another thing we have in common--We love to talk!!) "H" was also gracious enough to give us two ultrasound pictures, she had done in February. As we were getting ready to leave, she said that the baby was moving (she said that it is the baby's schedule to kick at night). We hung around and got to see the baby move. Bug went over, and after a little coaxing, she touched the "baby". It was so cute. We felt so blessed and excited to be able to see the baby move. Thank-You "H", for sharing that moment with us. It was another wonderful visit, and was nice to learn more about this family, and just reinforced the fact that we are meant to be together. It never hurts to have more extended family, does it? :-)

Today we had a playdate and had lots of fun at the park with Heather and Lily. Life gets so busy, and we just don't get together enough!! Here are some pictures of our day:
Our little Bug loves to climb!

Lily loving the swing!! Goofin' around-- A picture before heading home for lunch.. ...And a hug too!!



Tomorrow night it is out to dinner with Uncle Gary who is here for business from West Virginia. It will be nice to see him, and yes, Aunt Carolyn I promise to provide him with pictures of Bug to bring home to you! This weekend brings us travelling to visit DH's family. It will be a nice to have some family time, laugh, and just catch up. That is all for now...Safe travels to everyone travelling this weekend!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

A nice strong heartbeat...

(Here is a picture of Bug in the car, as we were going through Chicago on the way to Pittsburgh on Friday.)

Well, we made it home (or hoe, as Bug calls it--she likes to leave the m's out of alot of her words) safe and sound, at 5am on Tuesday. We decided to drive through the night, to make it easier on all of us--Bug slept pretty much the entire time, and when she woke up the few times, she just sucked her thumb and listened to us talk...until she fell back asleep. Driving through the night was worth it, if only to avoid Chicago traffic. We have never gotten through Chicago in an hour before...that was nice.

The other driving force for coming home early, was to attend "H's" dr's appointment. After having about 3 hours of sleep, we woke up and got ready for another short drive (about 45 minutes away), to her appointment. It was so nice to see her again. We all (DH, Bug, Me, "H", and "H's" Mom) crammed into the exam room, and watched "H" get weighed, measured, and finally, got to hear the baby's heartbeat. Dr said the baby has a "nice, strong heartbeat". It was so good to hear, almost made me cry. The Dr also said that there is no medical reason to have another ultrasound, so it will have to be a surprise. Both "H" and I were bummed...we both want to know. As we were leaving, we agreed to chat soon to make plans to get together this weekend.

Our Pitts trip was fun...as always, we just relaxed, ate, relaxed and ate some more. We visited "Aunt" Pat, and "Uncle" Jack, and also got to see Beth. On our last day, we also visited Great-Aunt Irene. Unfortunately, our schedules didn't work out and we didn't get to see Aunt Suzanne or Uncle Bill this trip. :-( It was good to see Grandma though, and even better to see her being able to walk at the mall. We are so glad we had the chance to visit, but sad to leave. This was the shortest visit we have ever had, so we plan on spending more time when we go back in October/November. Thanks Grandma for everything--especially the yummy desserts!!

Well, this weekend our project is to tear out Bug's closet, and install a closet organizer, to utilize the space (up to the ceiling), as we are going to need it very soon. We are also going to get the infant/newborn clothes out again, and get those washed and ready to go. I don't want to get caught unprepared!!! Besides, Bug's second birthday and the birth of this baby are probably going to be very close, and we want one less thing to worry about (plus, I am just a freak when it comes to being prepared!!).

That is about all for updates--I will leave you with pics from Pitts:
Cheesin' for the camera...At a rest stop trying to start the car, while waiting for Daddy....
After church, on Saturday at Pat and Jack's house...That dress Bug is wearing cost $5 (after-Easter clearance at Target!!).

Bug getting smooches from Mommy and Great-Grandma
Great-Grandma, Bug, and Daddy
I think this picture will go down as my all time favorite--Bug and Daddy are both smiling, and Bug is actually in the air--have I mentioned, that I love our new camera?!?
Great-Grandma and Pat
Bug playing out in the backyard with "Uncle" Jack
Pretty rose that Bug got for Great Grandma for Mother's Day
Bug walking in the mall with Great-Grandma
At the play area at the mallCuddling with Great-Grandma

Friday, May 9, 2008

The kind of peace we now have...

Here is a picture of Bug talking on our cell phone. Not really--the phone is locked--but she likes to pretend. Sometimes her baby dolls talk on the phone too...I guess she is starting them early.

Today we are headed to PA for a few days to visit DH's Grandma. We are excited to get there, but not too excited about the trip. I am sure Bug will be fine--we are bringing the laptop, in case she gets to stir crazy, and we need to pop in a Elmo dvd.
Well, "H" called the other day. It was so nice to talk to her. We had a nice conversation, and she too, verified the same feelings we had leaving our initial meeting--we all felt like we gained new family members. We talked about the baby a little bit, and also decided that DH, Bug, and I would go with her to her next check-up. We also agreed to get together at least a couple of times before that baby is born. We also talked about names again--specifically, girls names. We asked what she thought of us naming the baby's middle name after her--so the baby's middle name would be birth mom's first name. We really wanted to honor her by doing that, and she said that was wonderful. We still haven't come up with a first name if it is a girl, though, so any suggestions would be appreciated!! :-) It is settled, that if it is a boy, he will be named Samuel. "H" will chose the middle name, if it is a boy.
I think I am developing allergies. I am having these asthma attacks out of nowhere, and have a stuffy/runny/stuffy/runny nose, and a cough. My Sis-in-law and I were talking on the phone, and she mentioned getting some OTC drugs and trying them. She was convinced it was seasonal allergies. What do you know, it worked. I had no idea I had allergies...??
Through this adoption journey, I often think about how our road to build a family started, and all we went through to be where we are now: 8 years of trying to conceive (TTC), countless procedures, hundreds of shots and IV treatments, a miscarriage, 3 failed IVF's, and alot of tears. Now, though, we feel so much peace. All those things had to happen for us to be where we are today. There were so many times that we were so frustrated--at God for not letting us have a baby--all the while HE was working HIS plan for us. Now, it all makes sense. I totally believe that I won't ever be pregnant again...and that is 150% OK with me. I feel like God has blessed us with our Bug Bug, and now HE is blessing us with this precious little baby, whom we love already. This little baby isn't going to come from my womb, but has been in my heart all this time. We feel extremely fortunate that God has blessed us to be parents two different ways, not just one. God is Great!

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Pizza, Uncle Harry's and a really cool fort!

Here is a picture of our bug and her new baby doll. We actually bought this baby doll for her birthday (long before we ever knew we might possibly have a baby before her second birthday!), so after our most recent exciting news, we decided to give it to her now. She loves her baby, (who's name on the Cabbage Patch Birth Certificate is "Hope") and takes her everywhere. Bug tries to feed her baby her breakfast, and makes sure to follow it up with a bottle (the pink one in the picture!). It is so cute...

Anyway, last night we visited some friends, who have two boys, and a boy on the way (due in early September). The oldest boy (who is 3) and Bug had such a fun time playing. We had pizza for dinner, then walked to Uncle Harry's (local custard and ice cream shop), then went back home for more playing. Bug and "G-Man" loved playing in the fort...it was so cute watching them play together. "G-Bam" was busy trying to keep up--he is growing so fast--I am pretty sure he will pass Bug up on the scales very soon!! It was good to see him so healthy, and walking around on his own. He is surely a blessing!

No new news--this week will be busy--lots of play dates. We are planning on heading to PA later in the week for a few days with Great Grandma. Looking forward to the visit, not looking forward to the 10+ hour drive with toddler who only likes to sit in her car seat for so long!! (we were going to fly, but forgot to buy the tickets on the last day of the sale...Grrrrr.) O-Well...DH and I will have lots of time to talk.

I will leave you with some pictures from last night:
Bug and G-Man playing in the fort
G-Bam--he is getting so big!! What a cutie! Bug sitting on G-Man's lap--she really wanted to sit on the chair because it is a Mickey Mouse chair, but G-Man beat her to it, so she just plopped on his lap. And saving the best for last--this is their dog, Reagan. Reagan found a nice warm spot next to DH, and if you look real closely, Reagan's paw is sitting right on DH's leg...How cute! This dog pretty much didn't move for about an hour. Ironic, no?

Thursday, May 1, 2008

32 wks 1 day

This is a picture of Bug-Bug when we were visiting Grandpa Mick and Grandma Kris a couple of weekends ago.
As I said in the last post (I am a little behind...), as we arrived home, we got a call from our social worker. A birthmom was interested in meeting with us. We were ecstatic! Fast forward to Monday night at 7pm. We were pretty nervous--I am always more nervous than DH. The minute I saw this beautiful birthmom, I was instantly at ease. I can't explain why, I hadn't even talked to her at this point! After about a hour and a half, of comfortable chatting, she looked at her social worker and said..."I don't want to see any more profiles...they are the ones I want". We were in awe, as we weren't expecting that at all...we thought she might make a decision in a couple weeks or something like that. I quickly told the social worker to get me some kleenex, which she did, and both DH and I started to cry, and there were hugs all around. There were so many perfect "God things" that happened in this meeting--it is obvious that this was Gods plan all along. It was the most humbling experience I have ever had. God clearly had his hand in this, and we owe it all to HIM. We are just overjoyed, and can't wait to meet our little baby.

Our birthmom--"H"--is due June 25th, which puts her at 32wks 1 day today! The baby is due four days after Bug's second birthday!! We are hoping to get together with "H" a few times before the baby is born, and of course we want her to meet our Bug!

Needless to say, we have been on "cloud 9" since Monday night, and last night was the first real night of sleep I have had since we got the call that our birthmom wanted to meet us. I feel like a new woman!

We are so thankful that God blessed us with "H", and are so grateful for the selfless decision she has made for us to be a second Mommy and Daddy to her baby. God is Great!