Signing Day

THE TERMINATION PAPERS ARE SIGNED!!!!!!!!!!

We are BEYOND excited!!!

Now, our lawyer will file the papers with the court on the 11th day after signing (TX law). My parents are Little Bit's legal guardians and they will be given a court date once the papers are filed. At that point they will be given legal custody of Little Bit and we will begin the adoption process. As part of that, they will start the process of terminating the birthfather's rights.

Since my parents are now her legal guardians they are going to allow us to bring Little Bit back home with us next week!!! So moving day will be Nov. 18th!!

Olivia is 2 months old!!

Can you believe it??? Little Bit is 2 months old!! I'm just in awe of how much she's grown and changed, and how much she's learning to do. I love to hold her out in front of me so we can look at each other. She's studying my facial expressions, and I swear she's trying to mimmick me.



New things she's doing: She's big into "talking". Her coos are so cute! At first they were hit and miss, and I could never catch them on video, but she's beginning to get the hang of it now. She's smiling more. I especially love her first thing in the morning smiles. Totally makes my day!!

Election Day

Praise the Lord this day has finally come!!! I'm so sick of all the mudslinging and lies and the misleading commercials!! In fact, I'm so sick of it that I'm ready to see the "Head On" commercials again...that's pretty sad!!!

Exciting!!!

Mom talked to our lawyer today, and once C signs the paperwork on Saturday, we'll get to bring Little Bit home!!! J has to be in Houston for work Nov. 13-14, so we're gonna stay here until then, and once he gets off work on the 14th we'll head to BR!!! I'm so freakin' excited I can't see straight! This will be the BEST anniversary present EVER!!! (Our anniversary is Nov 16.) Once they gain guardianship our lawyer will start the process of getting the guardianship transferred to us. Then he'll start working on filing for termination of parental rights. We still have a long way to go before Little Bit is ours, but this is DEFINITELY a step in the right direction!!!

ETA: We had the ICPC (interstate Compact on the Placement of Children) filed with the courts early on in the process.

Meant to be???

If you'll take a look at my tickers you'll notice that the day our profiles were current and we were placed on "the waiting list" with each of our agencies was 1 month, 3 weeks and 4 days ago (September 3rd). And if you'll look at Little Bit's ticker, you'll notice that she is 1 month, 3 weeks and 3 days old (she was born on September 4th). But it gets even better!! The day that my parents called to tell me about Little bit was Tuesday, September 16th. That doesn't seem like much of a big thing until you learn that September 16th was my last day of work. But here's the weird part...it wouldn't have been my last day of work had Gustav not blown through. If the Hurricane hadn't come through Baton Rouge my last day of work would have been at the end of August. Coincidence? Not the way I see it. The way I see it all of this happened just as God wanted it to happen. With all that's happened thus far, I can only believe that the rest will fall into place just as God wants it to.

Pictures of Olivia

This was taken the day my parents brought Little Bit home from the hospital.


Her favorite place to nap is on my chest.


Snoozing in Miss Katye's arms.

Awww, how sweet!

Kristin loves my blog! Thanks girlie!!!

The way this works is I answer the following questions with single word responses, and pass the award on to 7 other bloggers:

**Some of my answers just couldn't be answered with a one word answer, so I cheated a little, but I did try to use as few words as possible.

1. Where is your cell phone? diaper bag

2. Where is your significant other? Baton Rouge

3. Your hair color? brown

4. Your mother? loving

5. Your father? dud

6. Your favorite thing? family

7. Your dream last night? nonexistent

8. Your dream/goal? motherhood

9. The room you're in? music room/office

10. Your hobby? scrapbooking

11. Your fear? losing loved ones

12. Where do you want to be in six years? home

13. Where were you last night? pool

14. What you're not? fashionable

15. One of your wish list items? 1 ct diamond studs

16. Where you grew up? Pasadena

17. The last thing you did? ate

18. What are you wearing? clothes

19. Your T.V.? Steal Magnolias

20. Your pet? dachshund

21. Your computer? desktop

22. Your mood? tired

23. Missing someone? terribly

24. Your car? CR-V

25. Something you're not wearing? shoes

26. Favorite store? Coach

27. Your Summer? HOT

28. Love someone? deeply

29. Your favorite color? purple

30. When is the last time you laughed? today

31. Last time you cried? yesterday

Here are seven blogs I love!

My Prayers, His Promises

Fertilized!

Reproductive Jeans

Life in the White House

Chick of Faith

Love, Hope and Faith

Reggie Boppy

My, How They Grow!!

I was looking at some pictures of Little Bit from when J and I first arrived here on Sept. 19 and I was just floored by how much she has changed in just a matter of weeks. Her cheeks are filling out, she's gotten a lot longer, and she's even gotten a double chin. She's as precious as ever!! She has been smiling in her sleep for some time now, but this morning I got a "wide awake" smile while I had her laying on my legs and I was making faces at her. I immediately started crying. I can't tell you how good it feels for people to be calling me "mommy", but today's little smile made my heart burst with love!!

We're having a bit more trouble with the spitting up. I'm wondering if we should switch to soy formula. Mom thinks we should wait until we see the doctor on Nov 6.
Little Bit was 6 weeks old on Thursday, so we packed up and traveled to Baton Rouge to see J. She did so well in the car. We stopped about every hour and a half to get her out of the seat, and I fully expected her to wail when we put her back in, but she didn't. When we got there several friends called and asked if they could come by to meet her. I was such a proud momma showing her off!!!

Yesterday was Littile Bit's first day at church. (But not our church in BR. We had to come back to Houston on Saturday b/c mom had some obligations at her church.) We had her dressed in a long pink dress with pretty white shoes on. She looked so pretty!! Everyone ooh-ed and ahh-ed over her, and I gushed with pride.

We got her pictures back that we had taken a couple weeks ago. I tried to scan a profile pic of her head in my hands, but mom's scanner isn't working. So you'll have to wait!

Guess I should go check on Little Bit. It's almost time for her 2:30 feeding!!

Cousins

My sister-in-law brought my niece down so they could meet Little Bit. J was so excited about her new cousin. She couldn't wait to hold her.

I'm Beyond Tired

Holy Moly...never in my life did I ever dream that I'd ever be this tired...AND ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! I'm dragging, I'm napping when I can, and I've got cabin fever, but I am so extremely happy! I've heard it said that there is no deeper love than that of a mother for her child...I now know what they are talking about. Last night Little Bit had some very bad gas pains, and she was crying so much that I started crying. I couldn't stand for her to be in so much pain. We gave her My.lacon, and we massaged her tummy and pulled her knees up to her tummy to help relieve the pain, and finally after about an hour she settled down.

J and I got the furniture in the nursery all set up, and afterwards we laid in the middle of the floor and just marveled at the fact that 3 weeks ago we had no clue that our lives would change so drastically in just a short amount of time. Mom and I are taking Little Bit to meet all her friends in BR this weekend, and while we're there we're going to get the curtains hung and pictures on the wall. I'll post pictures when we get it finished. We'll be coming back to Houston on Saturday, but it will be nice to show off our little girl to all our friends.

I talked to my other SS (SS#2) yesterday, and she told me that she was so glad that J and I were going to step up and take responsibility for Little Bit. I told her that I wanted her to be an active part of her life, and she was welcome to see her at any time. I explained to her that adoptive children often wonder about their blood relatives, and most never get the opportunity to ever meet them, so this situation was such a rarity. She cried. I cried. It was a wonderful conversation. I'm very excited that she and her husband are coming down next weekend to meet Little Bit. I know it will be a very emotional time for everyone.

I don't have much time to sit and read your blogs b/c I'm napping when Little Bit is napping.

Hey Big Spender!!

We got back to BR Wednesday afternoon after a very hard goodbye to Little Bit. I've only known her for a week and a half, and I never knew it would be so hard to come home without her. Even if it is only for a few days!!

Yesterday we started cleaning out the nursery, we bought her furniture, and we also bought a "new to me" car...ALL IN ONE DAY!!! Her furniture is absolutely beautiful, and I can't wait to get it all set up. We're going to pick it up tomorrow morning!!!

J and I have known for a while now that we needed to replace his car, but we wanted to wait as long as possible so we could save up as much money as we could. In an ideal situation we would have liked to pay cash for it, but with me living in Hou.ston until we get custody of Little Bit, J will have to do lots of commuting on the weekends. So we started looking online last night at 5:30, and by 9:00 we had a new car!! We found an '06 Hon.da C.R-V at a nearby Hon.day dealership with only 19,000 miles on it. It was listed at $19,000, but we were able to pull the "price matters b/c we're adopting a baby" card and we got it for $17,288!!! Well, that and the fact that we had seen the same car at another dealership in New Or.leans (in a color I didn't want) with 15,000 miles on it for $17,000. We told the salesman that if we could get a comparible price we would rather buy from him b/c we didn't want to travel.

My Heart Overfloweth

Things are still going extremely well here. Sometimes I have to stop and pinch myself b/c it just doesn't seem real. I feel like I'm playing house. I know there are no guarantees that Little Bit will be ours, but my heart is so full of love for this little girl

We took Little Bit to get her pictures taken at Tar.get yesterday b/c the county hospital doesn't do newborn pics. She slept through the first two sittings (one was in my pink dress that I had my first pictures in, and the other was a fall outfit). Then we put her in a halloween body suit and she decided to wake up for those. The last sitting was Little Bit in her diaper laying on a blanket of pink artificial flowers. Oh my gosh they were so cute. By the end of that sitting she was getting fussy b/c she was cold, so the photographer had me rest her head in my hands. I started singing to her, and she got the best shot of Little Bit looking up at me. My heart melted when we saw that picture. Needless to say we spent a ton of money!

I'm in Love

I had no idea when I came here to Houston that it would take me just a matter of minutes to fall completely in love with Little Bit. We are having so much fun getting to know her, and I'm gonna brag here, but she is the best baby!! She hardly ever cries, and when she does she's very easily consoled. (I'm sure I just jinxed myself!) She eats like a pro, though burping is a little difficult. She's not a fan of the burping.

Yesterday mom and I went to Tar.get to pick up a few things, and before we left I went to freshen up. I looked in the mirror and saw the spit up on my shoulder and just smiled. I smiled b/c I'm normally all about looking "presentable", but at that moment I wanted to wear those stains with pride.

As I type J is in the other room cuddling with Little Bit, and Maddie (our dachshund) is laying on the bed next to him wondering why this little person is taking all her attention. Maddie has been very good with her, but we can definitely tell she's jealous. As soon as we pass the baby off, she immediately jumps in our lap. We're trying to let her sniff Little Bit and lie next to us when we are holding her.

My parents mailed the letter to Little Bit's birthmother (C). Hopefully in a couple weeks we'll hear back from her. We are praying that shed will recognize that in her current state she just can't provide for Little Bit like we can.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and good thoughts. I feel like I'm in a dream world. I know this process could take a while before she's "ours", but we are hoping and praying it all goes smoothly and she's in our home by Thanksgiving.

I will try to post pictures of Little Bit tomorrow.

I knew Y'all Would Come Through for Me!!

I can't tell you how much your comments have meant to J and me. The other night, J was looking over my shoulder when your comments started coming in so we read them all together. Later he came back in and said, "anymore comments?" It was cute!

Mom and Charley brought Little Bit home from the hospital yesterday after many hours waiting for her meds and taking a few parenting and CPR classes. Mom sent me a picture of her with her cell phone. She's pretty darn cute!!

I'm having a hard time getting my feelings across about all this, but I'll try my best so bear with me. J asked if I felt obligated or forced to do this b/c it's my step-dad's grandchild, and I said no, but at the same time I felt like I couldn't say no. I know that doesn't make sense, but I have this feeling in my gut that it's just the right thing for us, so by turning this situation down I feel like we would be making a very selfish decision. Now to some of you it might sound like I feel obligated, but it's not that. And maybe that's just God whispering that He's got it all covered and I have nothing to worry about so that's why I feel so at peace about it. I think that if I was doing this out of obligation then I wouldn't feel at peace about it. Does any of that make sense??? J and I have talked about this in great length, we have prayed about it, and we both feel like we are prepared to give this precious child all the love she deserves. We don't feel like we're rushing into anything that we'll later regret. We're going to continue to pray that the Lord will spare her from her medical issues, but if for some reason He doesn't, we are going to do everything we can to make sure that she has a normal life and feels secure in who she is as she grows up.

J and I are going to spend the weekend at my parent's house to meet Olivia. We're very excited!! J will come home Sunday so he can work all next week, but I'm going to stay thru the 8th. Then he'll come back the following weekend so that we can go with my parents to see Little Bit's dr. on Oct. 7th. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to ask the doctor all the questions that we have swirling around in our heads.

Can't Think of an Appropriate Title

My mom called today to tell me that they were getting custody of my step-dad's daughter's, (C)  2.5 week old baby girl. C has had a lot of problems. Mom and Charley (my step-dad) have been given temporary custody of the baby and are picking her up from the hospital today.
What mom wanted to know is if J and I were interested in adopting the baby if they are given guardianship of her. The baby has several medical issues, but none are life threatening and can be easily be managed. I know this will be months down the road, but I want Charley to be in her life, and if she's adopted to someone they don't know, he will only get to see her a few times a year. If we adopt her then he can see her whenever he wishes.
So, that's what's going on in our house! It's all so crazy and unexpected. I don't want to get excited yet b/c there's a long road to go down. We are thanking God that this precious baby girl made it into the world safely, and we're praying that the medical issues that she has can be overcome and she'll be a healthy little girl.
I'll update you as I know more!

I'm Feeling So Blessed!!

I don't know why, but for some reason today, I am feeling extremely blessed. I know I should always feel blessed, and I do, but today it's different. Nothing special happened today to make me feel more blessed than I normally do. But for some reason today my heart feels so full!! Y'all are probably so completely confused by now, and I'm sorry I can't put into better words how I'm feeling.

I'm thankful for...

• the BEAUTIFUL weather we've had this week. It's just been AMAZING...clear blue skies, soft breezes blowing, low humidity, highs in the low-mid 80's and lows in the 60's. It's just been one of those weeks where I want to spend every moment outdoors.
• that my family and friends made it through Ike okay. Mom has power and no damage to their house.
• my wonderful husband. I know I complain at how he doesn't help around the house enough, and I roll my eyes when he leaves things lying around b/c he doesn't think about putting them away probably b/c he knows I'll do it for him, but I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!! I don't know what I would do without him.
• for my bloggy readers who let me rant when I need to and don't judge me, offer support when I'm on my knees, and celebrate the the successes along with me. You girls are the best!!!
• my infertility...That probably made y'all say "huh?" But today I received an email from a friend, M. She has a friend named Whitney who recently had a m/c at 10 weeks. Had I not had my losses, M would not have come to me to ask what she can do for Whitney, and I would not have been able to offer words of wisdom, books to recommend for her to read, or recommend something tangible to buy for her that will serve as a reminder of how precious her little angel is. I know that helping other isn't the reason God allowed my losses to occur, but now that I'm in a more healthy place I am able to see this as a positive thing that came from our pain. A year ago I never would have dreamed that I would be where I am today. I felt stuck in my pain, and today I feel free. I'll never forget our journey, but looking back I'm amazed at how far I've come, and quite honestly it's ALL BY THE GRACE OF GOD!!

I hope you all know that I pray for you often. Sometimes it's by name b/c I feel burdened to do so, but other times it's a prayer for "my bloggy friends". God knows who you are!! If there's ever anything you want me to pray for you about, please email me and let me know!! I would LOVE to pray for you about anything specific that's on your heart!! I know there are several of you who don't worship God or pray, and I hope that I haven't offended you by praying for you!!

I just have to say...

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!! Just reading your comments about how you also think the comments from my last post are absurd just makes my day!! Really it does!!


The worst part about this...the comments were made on a FERTILITY SITE!!!! I hang my head in shame at these people's ignorance!!! I realize we all have differing political views, but regardless of what they are...we are talking about CHILDREN here! And no matter how you go about getting them, whether through ART, or private adoption or foster-adopt, no one should be chastised or put down for the methods they choose!!!


I'm sorry to post my rantings about this, but it's all part of the adoption process, and since more people wanted to know about our journey I decided to post the good, the bad, and the ugly! That's all I'll say about that!! Back to our regularly scheduled blogging!!! *giggle*

I'm Ranting...You've Been Warned!

I am so tired of hearing people complain about how many children are in the foster care system and insinuating that we should be adopting them rather than adopting an infant. The direct quote in a thread about how the foster care system was going to get overloaded if abortion was legalized was,

"I think the problem is that many people are waiting/wanting to adopt an "infant", but there are already many "children" available for adoption."

I'm just not seeing how we're the problem. So I told her that the problem wasn't us wanting an infant. The problem is that there are far too many parents out there who have no clue how to parent. I saw it first hand when I was a teacher, and it broke my heart how children were treated, neglected, and left to fend for themselves while their parents partied all night. I then went on to say that I was in favor of free counseling and parenting classes and even mentoring programs for those who are needing some help. Now, I am not so niave to believe that counseling will fix all of their problems, but I think it can help a good number of them and give them a place to start.

I also took the time to let her know how offended I was at her comment. I just don't understand why those of us who can't have biological children are supposed to rid the system of all foster children. If I could have a biological child I would get an infant, so why is it that since I can't have a child that I should no longer want an infant or no longer deserve to adopt one? That thought process just boggles my mind. I am not opposed to adopting through the foster system, and since private adoptions are so pricey, that may be the way we go aobut adopting our next child, but to say that we are the problem there are so many children in foster care is just ludicrous.

Then the arguement was raised that there would be no way for these girls who can no longer receive an abortion to pay for their medical care while they're pregnant without a universal healthcare system in place.

So once again I chimed in and told them that women are allowed to receive Medicaid while they are pregnant so they can receive proper prenatal care.

Someone then said that she felt there would be more women dumping their babies in back alleys, garbage cans, etc...

I mentioned the "safe baby haven" program that the government has set up that allows a mother to drop her baby off at a police station, hospital, or fire station with no questions asked. I admit that this program was not perfect, and there needed to be more advertising about it on fac.ebo.ok, my.spa.ce, tv, etc... But I believe it's cut down on the number of abandonments dramatically.

I used to have a saying that I said quite a lot, "I hate stupid people." But I've quit saying it b/c it can be quite offensive. However, in this case I believe I will pull it out of the closet!!

Okay...rant over...back to my normal happy blogging self!!

Yikes...Ike!!!

My parents live in Pasadena (southeast Houston), and they are weathering the storm. Many of my friends evacuated b/c they live closer to the coast, but mom's zip code never came up as a mandatory evac. They have boarded up the house, and they have all the necessities, but I'm still so worried about them! Please keep them in your prayers.

Here's a Friday Funny...

During Gustav I wasn't able to call my mom to give her updates, so I would text her to tell her we were still alive and doing well, but she would never text me back. So last night she called me and asked me how "this texting thing" works. She told me that the news channels were telling everyone that texting would work even if calls couldn't go through. So I gave her a short tutorial, and then she sent me a practice text. This was the text..."Imlearninghowtotext". (obviously without the quotes.) So I gave her a call back to teach her how to put spaces into her message. J and I got a good laugh thinking about my mom sitting there during the storm texting us. I'm so proud of my techno savvy mom!!!

Doing the Happy Dance!!

As of today, we are on the BR agency list!!!!! Yes people...we are FINALLY waiting for a baby with BOTH agencies!! I can't tell you how happy I am!!! (Though I'm sure you can guess based on the number of exclamation marks I'm using! lol)

My mom called a couple days ago to tell me about a maternity home for teens near my hometown. She asked me if I wanted her to go check out the place and see if they do adoptions or contract out with a local agency. I told her, "Sure." Well, yesterday she calls to tell me that a friend of ours from church (who is a homebound teacher for the school district I used to work for) is getting a 9th grade girl from that maternity home today! So of course, my mom is DYING to know everything about the home, and Mrs. Carolyn is DYING to check things out for us! I'm just sitting here laughing at them b/c they are so excited about this. It's nice to know that people are as excited as we are about adopting. I'm asking for prayers, not that this girl will place her baby with us (though it would be so sweet), but that you would keep her in your prayers b/c she has many decisions to make about her future. I can only imagine how scared and confused she is.

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I don't want to log off without mentioning the importance of today...9/11/08. I can remember so vividly where I was 7 years ago today. I was teaching my class of 3rd graders when my team leader came in and told me to put a movie in for the kids and meet her in the empty classroom in our pod. We were all bawling, and for the rest of the day we watched the events unfold while our students unknowingly sat in our classrooms watching movies and playing games. We were on lockdown for a few hours, and eventually had to lift the order b/c parents were standing outside the school wanting to pick their children up and take them home to hold them tight. I still get chills thinking about it.

The unimaginable had happened on our own soil! I was afraid for all the people in NYC, DC and Pennsylvania. I was afraid for my mother-in-law-to-be who was vacationing in DC that day, and I was afraid for my husband-to-be b/c he worked at a chemical plant, and at the time we were getting reports that american chemical plants could be huge targets for terrorists.

Please keep the family members and friends of those who lost their lives in your prayers. And please remember those who survived. I hope and pray that we never have to experience ANYTHING like that again!! And last, please pray for our troops who are overseas seeing to it that we don't have to!!

America's response to that horrible day made me so proud to be an American!!!

What?!?

We got a letter from the MS agency this weekend, and they are saying it could be "up to a 3 year wait for a caucasian baby". WHAT?!? They never even hinted at that when I asked them at the information meeting! Of course, my questions was, "How long is your average wait?". Yikes!!! Guess I need to get on my knees a lot more than I already am!!

ETA: We have said we were open to other races, but b/c we listed caucasian as one of those races, we got the letter.

Jumping for Joy!!!

I got a call from the MS agency this morning, and we are on the list and waiting for our profile to be shown!!!!! I can't tell you how excited I am!!!

Hurricane Gustav Update

As you can see we have power!!! Surprisingly we held power for about half of the storm. I was even able to cook lunch for us and run the dishwasher in the middle of a hurricane. CRAZY!! Then about 2:40 the power went out. The winds were CRAZY strong and very scary. At one point I looked out the door to the carport to see our basketball goal fall over. Luckily we had J's car under the carport, otherwise his car would have been damaged. Our fence blew over, and we had water blow in under the front door, but we have slate tile in the entryway, so we just mopped it with towels and moved on. We also had water come up through (what we think is) a crack in our foundation b/c water was seeping through the grout in one part of our den. But, we just sopped it up, put towels down and that was that. We'll worry about the crack later. Through the worst of the storm we heard two of our neighbor's trees snap in two. Luckily they both fell towards their fence and not towards their house. This couple is so incredibly nice, they are from Nicaragua and this is their first hurricane to go through. She was very shaken up.

Our cable went out about 2:00, so I haven't seen any pictures of the aftermath. It was hard to keep up with what was going on with just a radio. It seemed to be that we were located in just the right spot...far enough away from the eye that we didn't have the worst of the storm winds, and yet close enough to it to keep from being hammered by the squal lines as they whipped around.

Thank you so much for your prayers! Please keep praying for all those along the coast as well as those who will be affected as the storm moves on.

Here are a few pics from what went on in our world today...

Our fence blew over when Rita hit in 2005, and our backyard neighbor "fixed" it by piggy-backing new posts to the old posts putting the new ones in cement. J offered to help him pay for a new fence but he said he could handle it. Today the new posts snapped at the base just above the cement. Looks like we'll handle the new fence this time b/c clearly he had no idea what he was doing.

Here's our basketball goal where Jon normally parks his car.

This is our neighbor's back yard. It only shows one tree down, but the fence that has fallen to the side of their property was knocked down by the second tree.

I tried to take pictures of the wind blowing the rain sideways, but in the pictures it comes out looking like fog. So I took a video. This was obviously not taken during the worst of Gustav. I was too scared to go outside at the height of the storm. This was taken during one of the "respites" we had, and before our neighbor's trees were knocked down. Hope it works!! I sound really weird on the video for some reason. I don't normally talk that weird. I promise!! lol

Ahhh, Hurricanes...Gotta Love the Chaos!

NOT!!!

Man, things are really a buzz here in Baton Rouge. I went to top off my tank and then get some last minute things from the store...it was CRAZY! No one is panicking, but it's a good sign to see so many people preparing. My motto is to prepare for the worst and pray for the best! There are so many things in our pantry loaded with carbs, but at a time like this I threw my IR diet out the window.

J has been working yesterday and today. He is part of the coordination group at Exx.on, and while management has been trying to make the decision to shut down the plant here in BR, or get it to minimal capacity, or keep it up and running at full capacity, Jon has had to come up with all the different scenarios to help them achieve whatever form of capacity they decide upon. He called about an hour ago to tell me that they are leaving the plant up. Apparently, we're only supposed to get 30-50 mph sustained winds with 70 mph gusts here in BR, and they think it will be safe to keep running at full capacity under those conditions. (umm, okay) But since then, he's gotten several frantic phone calls about possible problems, and he's having to deal with all that.

This will probably be my last post for a while. The news is reporting that we should be prepared in the BR area to be without power for up to a week. Fun times!!! With Katrina we had our power back at 7:00pm the day she hit, so I'm hoping we'll get the same great service from our energy provider this go around 'cuz this very hot natured person does NOT do well without AC.

I'm very impressed with our government officials. Our new governor started evacuating hospitals and nursing home days ago, shelters have been opened with provisions for pets (which was a HUGE reason many with transportation chose to stay during Katrina b/c they couldn't take their pets to the shelters), Jindal issued voluntary evacuation orders a few days ago, and all parishes on the coast are now under mandatory evacuation orders. There have been hundreds of busses ready for days to evacuate the people who are without transportation, and the national guard troops are down there helping with security. It's been amazing to see how all the branches (local, state and national) of government working together this time. With Katrina our then governor, Blanco, shrugged off help until it was too late. By the time she realized she was in over her head, there wasn't much anyone could do. And afterwards it was mass chaos b/c no one knew where to start b/c the damage was so bad. I'm go glad she's no longer our governor!!!

Please say a prayer for all who are on the gulf coast. This storm could cause massive devastation if it comes on as a Cat 4 or large Cat 3!! And some people are just now getting back into their houses after Katrina only to have to leave again.

Very Cool Video

Stupid Gustav Part Deaux

I decided to Fed.Ex the photobooks and letter to the MS agency. It's guaranteed to get there tomorrow before the chaos hits! WOO HOO!!! So everything is turned in to them, and we should be in their books very soon! (Until they come back and tell us we have something else to do. If there's one thing I've learned about adoption agencies...they tend to test your patience. Just when you think you've gotten it all done, they spring something else on ya!) So here's hoping we're FINALLY DONE and waiting on our baby!!!!

The social worker from the BR agency called to ask us what we thought about their new program to allow us to put our profiles on their new website. (I think it's a great idea, btw.) So while I had her on the phone I nailed down a date for us to have a pow-pow. (For those who don't remember...we've already completed our HS, but since this agency didn't do it, she likes to sit down and talk so she can get to know us a little better.) So that meeting is scheduled for Sept. 9. At that meeting I'll give her our letter and then we'll be in their books!! YIPPEE!!!

J found out that he doesn't have to be at the plant during the storm, but he will probably have to work from home if a situation arises. Hmmm, wonder if Ex.xon has figured out how to get him logged into their network without using electricity b/c barring a miracle, we're gonna lose power. Guess we'll find out on Tuesday when this thing makes landfall.

And lastly...I'm getting laid off in a couple weeks. Now before you go getting all worried...this is a part-time job (not even that, I work 14 hours a week max), and I only took it b/c the BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministry) director at LSU was in dire need of some help while they were building their new facility. Now that we're in the new place, it turns out that they hadn't budgeted for a $2500 electric bill each month, so since I'm just "fluff" here, they are having to let me go b/c they can't afford to pay me. So, while it was nice to have my small paycheck to add to the "baby fund" in our savings account, J and I will be fine, and I will not be applying for unemployment! I am sad about leaving...I'll never find a job as flexible as it is here, and I've gotten to know several of the college students that I will miss (even if they do make me feel old sometimes, lol). I am, however, looking forward to getting back in the gym 5 days a week (until another part-time venture comes my way).

Tah-tah for now...or as Tigger would say...TTFN!!

Stupid Gustav!!!!

Well I was gonna get our letter and photobooks mailed out today, but I'm afraid to mail them with Gustav out there. I'm afraid it'll get lost in the mail should electricity be out for a long period of time. Geez...why must this be so hard?????

Even worse news...I get to ride out the hurricane (if it hits here, and it's pretty likely it will) b/c Jon will have to be at work. I'm toying with heading to Houston to stay with my folks, but I haven't decided yet. My parents are on vacation all next week, but they will be hanging around the house getting some projects finished up. I tried to get them to come here and bring their generator so we could have a hurricane party, but for some reason they just don't want to do that. What's up with that??? Where's the love??? lol

Feeling Icky

TMI here...skip if you please!

Saturday while we were in Hattie.sburg visiting J's brother and sil, I started getting this "gotta go" feeling. And after I went, I still felt like I had to go. Sunday it got worse, so I called my doctor this morning. I went in for a urinalysis this afternoon, and another doctor's nurse called back (my doctor is off on Mondays) about an hour later to say that they wanted to do a culture on it b/c I had blood in it. I told her I had just had an IUD put in on Tuesday and I was still spotting from that. They called in an antibiotic, and once the culture comes back they'll let me know what else they want me to do. In the meantime I'm drinking LOTS of cranberry juice, despite all the carbs it's loaded with. I don't think it's helping, but everyone has told me to drink it. I'll do anything at this point! I'm tired of "going" and I'm tired of being in pain! This sucks!!!

What's Next?

Jill commented on my last post and wanted to know what the next step was.

I will turn our letters in to both of the agencies that we're working with along with our photobook. Then we'll officially be waiting to be selected by an expectant mother (EM). One of our agencies will allow us to post our letters and picture on their website,and if the EM finds the site, likes us and wants to meet us, she will have to go through that agency for the adoption. There are websites out there with databases full of profiles that EM's from all over the country can browse through. Many of those adoptive parents are going the private route and working with a lawyer. There are pros and cons to doing a private adoption and going with an agency. Wedecided we wanted to go with an agency b/c of the services that they provide the EM's.

So basically all the hard stuff (meetings with the social worker, home study, background checks, finanial records, autobiographies, applications, etc...) has all been turned in, and once I get the letter and our photobooks in the mail we'll be officially in our agencies books and waiting on a baby! YEA!!!

Seminar and Letter Updates

We enjoyed the "infant care" seminar Thursday night. Most of it was common sense, but one thing that the doctor suggested was that we "interview" several pediatricians before we make our selection. He gave us several questions to ask, some I never would have ever thought of.

1. What are the after hours procedures for their practice?
2. Do you have a pediatric nurse practitioner that works for you?
3. Do you return the phone calls or will the nurse or nurse practitioner relay your message?
4. If you share a practice, will I always see you?
5. What are your views on vaccinations, co-sleeping, circumcision, etc...?
6. What is your usual recommendation for how long to let a baby cry when they are put to bed?
7. What is your philosophy about antibiotics or other medication for children who have colds or other ailments?
8. Do you have a "sick baby" waiting area?
9. How soon after the baby is born will the pediatrician come to see it at the hospital?
10. How does the pediatrician feel about mothers calling in after hours over "little things"? (Basically, are they going to get annoyed and disregard the questions?)
11. Does the doctor answer any general questions by email?


And now for the letter...

Jon and Janna

Thank you for taking the time to read our letter! Knowing that love is at the heart of adoption, we realize that your decision to allow another to raise your child takes great courage and trust. The letter that follows will give you a peek into our life. We hope you will feel that we are the right family to raise and love your child and want you to have a lifetime of comfort and peace with your decision.

About Us…

Married 5½ years, our relationship is built on love, respect and trust. We feel completely safe communicating our fears and feelings because we know that we would never do each other harm. Hard times in life have become opportunities to lean on each other for support, encouragement and comfort.

We share many common interests, which helps us build fond memories together. We love to travel, sing, play sports, go to sporting events, do puzzles, volunteer on mission trips, and spend time with friends and family.

We’ve always wanted a family and believe that raising a child is one of life’s greatest blessings. When we found out that we couldn’t have a biological child, we knew that we wanted to adopt. We can’t wait to become parents and share our love with a child.

About Jon (by Janna)…

What I love most about Jon is his giving spirit. He’s often the one doing the behind the scenes work and would rather not be publicly recognized for his help. He’s always thinking of others whether he’s giving money to someone in need, spending a weekend gutting a house in New Orleans, or taking vacation days to go on a mission trip. Jon’s heart is so full of love for others, even if he’s never met them.

Jon is intelligent (he graduated from college with a 4.0 GPA), he's a self-taught guitarist (I love to hear him playing in the other room when he gets home from work) and a very talented athlete (he played football, baseball and basketball in high school). Despite his many accomplishments, Jon continues to push himself to learn more and practice harder, always striving to grow in every area he can.

Although he can be shy and takes some time to get to know new people, everyone who knows Jon adores him because of his genuine spirit. No matter what the situation he remains honest and trustworthy. Whether on the job, on the softball field or basketball court, or helping others in need, Jon is a very dedicated worker and gives 100% of himself.

It’s common for Jon to be the human jungle gym when we are with family and friends. The kids immediately flock to him, and in those moments I know that he is going to make an amazing father.

About Janna (by Jon)…

I still remember the first time I met Janna. I noticed her gorgeous naturally curly hair and beaming smile first. But it was her fun-loving spirit and witty personality that lit up the room even though she was a newcomer among strangers. I soon learned that she is a talented athlete (she played on a state championship softball team) and singer (she was #1 in the state in high school). Cute, fun, energetic, talented in sports and music (two of my favorite hobbies)—I was hooked!

Of course, Janna is much more than a cute, talented person. She is an amazing elementary school teacher. She can cut up with her class and have them giggling one minute, yet have them quiet and attentive the next. She skillfully balances the fun and structure that kids need to develop and thrive. She’s a natural with children if I’ve ever seen one, and I can’t wait to see her as a mommy.

But Janna’s giving heart is what I love most, and it shines through in many ways. She leads a volunteer reading program at a local school and babysits for friends. She makes cute gift baskets for new mothers in our church and gives thoughtful gifts to friends and family on Christmas and birthdays (not to mention any other time she finds something they would like). She’s been on several mission trips and volunteered full time in a shelter for mothers with infants after Hurricane Katrina. Janna has a lot of love and compassion to give…another reason she will be a great mother.

Janna has always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, and I completely support her. I can’t imagine a more important (or challenging) job than raising a child. Of course, Saturdays will be “Daddy Time” so Mom can get a break and Dad can get some quality bonding time with the children, too.

Our Values…

We were both raised in Christian homes and attend church regularly. We believe that attending church as a family strengthens us as individuals AND as a family. Our faith is important to us, and we want our child to find comfort in their faith as well. Our child will get to see godly lives through watching us interact with one other and the people we meet. We are far from perfect, but we hope to show our child that mistakes can be important learning experiences as much as successes.

Both of us have earned college degrees—Jon in chemical engineering and Janna in elementary education. Our children will be encouraged to pursue higher education goals as well. They will also be encouraged to participate in sports and artistic outlets like music so they can develop physically, creatively, and socially as well as intellectually.

We want to raise our children to be open-minded and non-judgmental, loving and respectful toward themselves and others, to value friendships and family, and to get involved in making the world a better place.

Where we live…

We live in a roomy four bedroom home in a culturally diverse neighborhood. In fact, the house was purchased with kids in mind because there is a large, fenced-in back yard that is perfect for outdoor fun and games. Our home is filled with plenty of toys and countless books to entertain a child’s imagination.

Our Family…

JANNA’S FAMILY: I have one older brother and a large, close-knit extended family who gathers every holiday to celebrate. It’s not uncommon for there to be 25-30 people gathered in one of my family member’s homes during the holidays. Though we’re scattered throughout Texas and Louisiana now, we still find time to get together at least once a year (though it’s typically more often than that.) We have one niece who we absolutely love and adore, and we can’t wait for her to have a cousin to play with!

JON’S FAMILY: I have a younger brother and adopted sister who live in Mississippi. Every year, we look forward to spending New Year’s Eve with my brother and sister-in-law. We play board games and video games, watch college bowl games, and enjoy the New Year’s parades. My sister was born in South Korea, but she is as “Southern belle” as they come. She is living proof that you don’t have to be blood (or even look the same) to be a family.

With our families living in other states, we have been blessed to find a large circle of close friends that we consider our “chosen” family here in Baton Rouge. We get together often for dinner, games or just to hang out.

And we couldn’t talk about family without mentioning our dog, Maddie. She is a 6-year-old miniature dachshund who absolutely rules our home. If you’ve got a lap she’s going to find it. And she’ll even sneak in a kiss or two as well. Taking her on walks in the evening is something that we enjoy doing as a family, and we can’t wait to bring a little one along on our family walks through the neighborhood.

We have shared our plans to adopt with all of our friends and family, and they are so excited for us. Between our niece, our cousins’ children, and our friends’ children, our baby will have lots of playmates!

In Closing…

The most important thing we want you to know is that we have a strong relationship based on love, respect and commitment. We are surrounded by wonderful family and friends who support us completely in our adoption journey. We are emotionally, spiritually, and financially stable, and we can’t wait to share all of this and more with a child.

We are interested in having contact with you before and after your baby is born through visits, letters, and phone calls, if you wish. We want to do whatever makes you feel most at peace with your decision.

We realize that you have a difficult decision and respect the time that you are taking to make it. Your child will always know the depth of your love as well as the care you took in finding the very best home to grow up in. We know that we can provide that type of home, and we hope you feel the same.

Thank you for reading our letter. Even though we haven’t met, you are already in our prayers. We wish you the very best!

May God bless you in your decision,

Adoption Seminar

I was told by a fellow blogger that I need to be blogging about our adoption experience more.

"Honestly, you really need to blog more... we've always planned on adoption at some point (even way back before all of this) but the whole process is so overwhelming (as I'm sure you're aware!) and reading about it step by step is really so encouraging. I'm sure that a lot of people feel the same way. I know that there isn't a whole lot going on right now, but hopefully once everything is done, things will really start happening fast so that I have something to read ;o)."

I've often complained that there wasn't much to write about these days as things were stalled, but she brought to mind that there are lots of people out there (her included) that have no idea what the adoption process is like, and learning about even the mundane experiences can help them better understand the journey. So, here's what's going on right now...

Tonight from 7-9 we have a seminar with our Baton Rouge agency. They hold these monthly, and we missed the one in June b/c of my foot surgery, and they didn't have one in July, so I told J that the next time they hold one we're gonna have to go. The topic tonight is infant care, and it's being led by a cradle care couple, a pediatritian and a nurse. Cradle care couples pick the babies up from the hospital and take them home with them until the surrender papers have been signed by the birth parents.

I started baby sitting when I was 12, but quite honestly I'm pretty intrigued by tonight's topic b/c as much as I've been around babies I don't think I have a clue what to do when they are in my care 24/7. I'll report on how it goes tomorrow.

One Word...

OUCH!!!! Can I just say that having an IUD put in is no walk in the park? I'm fine now other than a few cramps here and there, but I had it in my head that it would be about as uncomfortable as my IUI's were. Boy was I wrong! And he even used Lido.caine!! Dr. K said that sometimes it's a walk in the park and other times it's difficult and painful. Leave it to me to be a difficult patient. I'm so glad it's over!! Now, let's see how long it takes me to stop bleeding. My friend, MW had the IUD put in about 5 weeks ago, and she's still bleeding. But I hear that if you can get through the first 6 months of irregular bleeding that you'll absolutely LOVE the IUD for the next 4.5 years. Let's hope so!!

It is Written!!!

We finally sat down and competed our Dear EM letter!! It's rough at this point, and for the next few days we're going to let it sit. Then later this week we'll revisit it, do a few revisions, and HOPEFULLY have it ready to mail next Monday!!! But what a relief to FINALLY have it on the computer with something in every section!!! YEA!!!

Tomorrow I'm going in to have the Mir.ena IU.D put in. I'm so tired of crying month after month when I have to put the Ring in. It's not the AF that gets me all upset. It's using BCP that has me all emotional each month. The last thing I want to do is prevent a pregnancy, but I know it's what I have to do b/c of the Meth.otre.xate I'm taking. But even with knowing I HAVE to do it, my heart still WANTS to be pregnant. It will be nice knowing that for the next 5 years I won't have to worry about birth control, and I can just live my life.

Y'all have a good week!!

So Tiring

I called our doctor's office last week before I left for Houston to ask if they had mailed J's medical form back to the BR agency. They hadn't. The lady said she would put it on the doctor's desk for her to look at the following day. I left town and didn't call back until yesterday. I asked about the form, and the lady said that they had copies of the completed form in J's chart so that meant they had been sent off. I'll be calling the agency to confirm tomorrow. You know, this may not mean much to them, but it's HUGE to us, so why can't that be incentive enough for them to keep their patients happy by keeping the ball rolling???

I got back in town Monday, and J left last night for Houston. We're two ships passing in the night. I'm ready to see him for more than a couple nights at a time. I miss him!!!

I still haven't heard anything from the MS agency. Guess I'll have to call again. FRUSTRATING!!!

I need to sit down tonight and finish up our dear EM letter. But the olympics have been on, and I'm just not a multitasker when it comes to doing something with the TV on. Must be my ADD, I don't know. A part of me is bitter b/c I've had to write the whole thing since J has been working or on a trip, and I think that's a big reason for my procrastination. But I'm GOING to have it ready for editing by the agencies by Monday morning!!! I think I'll pin J down this weekend so we can knock it out. I just don't think I need to be the only one writing this thing. Am I right here? Do I have reason to be a little bitter about it? Be honest. I can take it!!

Sneaky Project A Success!!!

Here's the before pics (This is not our furniture. These are pics I took the day we made an offer on the house 3 years ago. I don't have any "before" pics of our den with all our stuff in it. But you get the idea...Take a look at the horrible paneling!!)

And After...

And the best part...I did it all for under $500!!!

ETA: Sorry, forgot to write about J's reaction. He loves it! He keeps saying that he can't believe it's the same room. His favorite things in the room are the curtains and the rug. I thought he would ahve a hreat attack about painting the fireplace, but surprisingly, he likes that too. He teased me and said I had been watching to much HGTV...probably right since I was flat on my back for 3 weeks after surgery.

Being Sneaky

We have this hideous paneling in our den that I've been wanting to paint for some time now, but with my arthritis giving me problems I've put it off. My friend L decided that we were going to tackle it this week while J was in NYC and surprise him with a complete makeover when he comes home Sunday night. L doesn't pay full price for anything, so we went to Ben.jami.n Mo.or.e today, bought 4 gallons of "oops" paint for $6 a can, mixed them all together and came out with this gorgeous sagey mossy green. We came home, got the walls and fireplace primed, and started painting...It looks AMAZING!!! I'm so excited!!

But the sneakiness doesn't stop there. I went with L and her mom to a furniture liquidator and found a 5x8 rug for $88!! And we found a TV stand for $75!! So, we moved the entertainment center to the curb, we're putting the TV console table from the living room in the den, and we're putting the new TV stand in the living room. The only thing left to do is find new curtains, a few throw pillows and a couple things to hang on the walls. It would be SO exciting to be able to do this makeover for under $500!!! With L in charge I know that can be done! Hopefully we can have all this finished by Sunday night when J comes home!! He'll be SO surprised!!!!

We had hail damage from a storm a few months back. The roofers came today...can't wait to see it all complete!! J may think he's in the wrong house with all the changes that are taking place!!

I called the Agencies

I called both agencies today. I was able to take to someone from the BR agency, but had to leave a message at the MS agency.

The BR agency still hasn't received J's medical form that was done months ago. So hopefully our doctor still has it and just forgot to mail it. If not, then I have to get another form and take it by there to be filled out again. *FRUSTRATING!!!* We also have to meet with the SW, but we'll schedule that when I get back in town week after next. And we have to write our Dear EM letter.

So that's where we are. Hopefully I'll hear from the MS agency soon.

I've Gotta Do It...But I Don't Want To!

I've decided I've got to be one of "those" people and bug the agencies about what's next. I've been trying to give them time and let them call me, but I'm tired of waiting, and I have to be my own advocate here. I don't want to be the annoying "adoptive parent" who won't stop calling, but apparently they aren't going to call me. So if anything is going to progress I'm going to have to call them! UGH!!!

BR agency...
I need the SW to schedule her "getting to know you" meeting with us. Apparently that's all we have left to do with them before we're in the books. LET'S GET MOVING LADY!!! (On a more confusing note...I know we need to meet with her one-on-one, but we received a personalized letter about a seminar, and at the bottom it said, "If you're planning to be out of town for more than 2 days, please let us know in case we hear from an EM." Now, does that sound to you like we're already in the books with them even without the meeting??? Goodness, I'm so confused!!!)

MS Agency...
I need to know if our application has been accepted and what to do now. We have to write a Dear EM letter, but they were supposed to send us examples.

Birth Control

Since we've stopped ttc I have had to get back on BCP b/c my stupid body can't seem to work correctly without it. For the first couple months I took oral pills, but I just didn't want to take a BCP every day for the rest of my "child-bearing (*snicker-snicker*) years. It's bad enough that I can't have kids, but to have to wake up every day and take a pill that will keep me from having children when all I want is to have a child just wasn't something I wanted to do. So I talked to my OB, wonderful Dr. K, about something that wasn't an every day thing. He suggested Mirena, a five year IUD. I was a little freaked out by having something foreign in my body for the next 5 years, so I asked about The NuVa Ring. He wrote the Rx ,and I've been on it for about 4 months. And can I tell you...I HATE IT!!!! My periods are so LONG and drawn out. I'm used to 2 days (tops) with a pill, and now I'm going 5-8 days! And it's 5-8 days of light, annoying flow. I'd much rather have 2 days of heavy flow than 5-8 light flow/spotting. I'm sure some of you are laughing at me here, but for 12 years I was on BC, and I had 2 day cycles...it's what I'm used to. So now I'm beginning to rethink the Mirena. I don't know what my cycles will be like on the IUD, but I'm willing to give it a try even if it just makes my cycles a couple days shorter. Anyone have any experience with Mirena or another IUD?

Lonesome Ramblings

I had a wonderful visit with my BFF Sarah and her little girl Em. They came in on Wednesday and I just dropped them off at the airport a little while ago. While they were here we went to the Children's Museum in New Orleans, we rode the carousel at the mall, I took them to see Mike the Tiger on the LSU campus, we went swimming (well, they swam while I sat on the side taking pictures b/c of my boot), we went to Chu.ck E. Che.ese's, and it wouldn't be a trip if we did shop 'til we dropped. I just love their annual visit! Sarah and I got our BFF scrapbook brought up to date, though now we're officially behind again. HA HA!

A little background on Sarah...she and I were roomates in college for the last year and a half we were there. And we have been best friends ever since. Sometimes it's so hard to believe that we've known each other for 13 years! And in all those years I don't think we've ever had a fight. Sure, we got annoyed by the other a time or two, but it's just the easiest friendship I have in my life. I just love her to bits, and our moms are great friends, too.

Sarah's little girl is 5 years old, and about a year ago, Sarah had the itch to have another baby, but she decided that she wasn't having another one until I had a baby. Can you believe that??? Of course, I told her to go ahead and try again, but she would have nothing of it. I know she wants another baby so badly, but to have a friend who puts your happiness ahead of her own is just so rare. She's a true blessing, and I couldn't thank God enough for bringing us together 13 years ago!!! I hope that each of you have a friend like Sarah! And if you do...thank the Lord for her, and then go tell her how much you love her!!!

J also left this morning, but he's headed to NYC. He is taking a group from our Sunday School class on a "vacation with a purpose". They'll be working in a soup kitchen for 3 days, and then for the rest of the week they will be typical tourists loose in the city! We have a friend who is a missionary in NY, and they will be working with him. I wish I could have gone, and my heart just aches b/c I'm am not on that plane with them, but I know that my foot needs the rest. Please keep them in your prayers...traveling mercies, safety while they are there, and that God will bless their efforts in a mighty way.

Hmmm, I have the whole week to myself...what's a girl in a big black bionic boot (as J calls it) to do???

One Blog Roll Shortens While Another Lengthens!!

I've been updating my blog roll as my fellow IF bloggers make their way over to the Mommy Side, and I just can't believe how short my IF blog roll is. But I can honestly say that I am finding that SOOOO rewarding and exciting!!! Before, I would have been so jealous that I was not getting moved to the Mommy Side, but you know...I'm COMPLETELY okay with it. I know that it's going to happen for me someday, and in the meantime I am just so excited for all my new blogging mommies! Praise God for new blessings!!!

But while one part of me rejoices with all the new mommies, another part of me is hurting for those who are still trying to get pregnant month after month with nothing to show for it but pokes, prods, mounds of meds and crushed hearts. So please say a prayer for all those who don't have a * by their name and those who haven't been moved over to the mommy side. I want so desperately for every woman on that IF blog roll to hold their baby in their arms very soon!!!

All Kinds of News

We FINALLY got our bloodwork paperwork for the MS agency mailed off!! (I'm hearing angels singing the Hallelujah Chorus.) So now we've officially turned in both completed applications. Now what? You ask. I have no idea! Ask me in a week or two. I have yet to hear from either agency. Will they let me know whether our applications have been accepted??? I have no idea. I guess I should be more pushy and badger them to death about where we stand, but I just don't have the energy. It's frustrating, for sure, but right now I am just too tired.

I am now in a boot, but it didn't come without it's own share of drama. But I'll spare you the details and just ask that you rejoice with me in the fact that I AM NO LONGER ON CRUTCHES!!!! Let's PARTY!!! I can now take a SHOWER!!!!!!! That is just music to my ears!!!

So what was the 1st thing I did after getting my boot??? Well, I went to meet Kim's PRECIOUS new baby girl, of course! OMG she's BEAUTIFUL!!!! She's got the most beautiful skin and so much hair. Congratulations Kim and R!!!

I'm soooo NOT believing this!!!

I went back to the doctor today b/c the walking knob on my second cast was bothering me, the cast was coming unravelled b/c they didn't get all the ends pressed down before it dried, and the cotton around my toe was coming off. (Can you say, rush job?) Anyway, I got Dr. S's nurse this time, not the NP, or the LPN (or whatever you call them). The nurse asked me when I had my surgery and I told her 6/10 and she looked at me funny, and asked, "Why are you still in a cast?". I told her about the bone not growing back correctly, and she pulled up my x-rays. She asked me who I had seen, and I told the NP and that I hadn't seen the DR since surgery. She left the room and came back 20 minutes later.

She had talked with Dr. Syperek and showed him the x-rays (which he had not seen yet!). He said that they showed the bone WAS growing back, but it just wasn't complete. (btw...this is NOT what the NP told me...she said it wasn't growing together like it should be, which made me believe something was going wrong in there.) RN told me he wanted me off the foot completely for 10 more days. I asked her if they should have ever put me in the walking cast to begin with, and she hem-hawed around trying to cover NP's butt, I guess, because she said that it's all a matter of opinion. (HUH??? Shouldn't it be the opinion of the DR, not the NP if there were serious concerns???) She said that the cast didn't do any harm to my foot (but obviously it didn't HELP). And she made sure to tell me that everything is healing like it should, it's just taking me a little longer to get there. So I have another appt on 7/21, and J gets to start working 1/2 time work/home at his busiest time of year. GREAT!!!

I'm just so tired of depending on everyone else. The walking cast at least gave me a little more freedom, and quite honestly I don't know if I'd be this angry if they would have delayed the walking cast in the first place. It's the "going backwards" that has me so frustrated. That, and the fact that they didn't do x-rays before they put on the first cast. It just boggles my mind. I think this all could have been avoided if 1.) they would have let me see the doctor before now, and 2.) if they would have done the x-rays before the first cast so they could have seen that I needed to continue staying off my foot for a while longer. But instead they waited to do x-rays until after I'd been walking on the first cast for 2 weeks and then put me in another cast for another 1/2 week. So now I've been walking on my foot for 2.5 weeks and it's slowed the healing process down.

Sorry for the rant. I'm just mad at this whole situation. I knew this would be a long healing process, but I didn't know it would be so caotic and backwards.

Good and Bad Day!!

So the bad news first...
I was SUPPOSED to get my cast off today, but the bone between the 1st and 2nd screws hasn't healed up completely. So I'm in a cast for another 10 days. GRRRR!!! I was SOOOOO looking forward to a shower tonight! I still have A LOT of swelling, but when an arthritic foot is immobile for 2 weeks, it's gonna swell. The best thing for an arthritis is to keep moving...kind of hard for an ankle to move in a cast! And when my ankle swells 9 times out of 10 my whole foot swells, and the swelling has interfered with the bone healing. I'm not a happy camper in regards to my stupid foot!!! I was supposed to be in a boot, but now I'm stuck in a neon green cast! GRRR

Now for the GOOD news...
I went to a resale shop today and found our stroller!!! It's a Graco MetroLite stroller in purple, gray and black. And the best part...it is in MINT condition and was only $40!!! Unfortunately the infant carrier wasn't with it, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Maybe I'll find the carrier somewhere else. Or maybe I won't, and I'll just buy a carrier that doesn't match.

The Bedding is in!!!

I was so excited to pull up to the house today to see 4 glorious boxes of bedding for the nursery. I was planning to just put it in "the room" and let it be, but I couldn't help myself!! I had to look inside! It's absolutely beautiful!!!!

I'm really glad I looked and checked each item with the packing slip b/c they didn't send my hamper, I was missing a changing pad cover, and my lamp shade was smushed. When I called to let them know of the missing items, the lady was so sweet. She called UPS while I was on the phone, and somewhere wires got crossed b/c UPS said they never received the hamper, but Restoration Hardware says it sent it in a separate box. She's going to look into it further and give me a call tomorrow. As for the changing pad...she put in for it to be sent out ASAP. I didn't tell her about the lamp shade...guess I'll do that tomorrow.

I'm so excited!!!!

In adoption application news...we got our b/w done (after much poking and prodding and J almost passing out), and I should be able to go pick up the form tomorrow. YEA!!! Then once I mail that off every ounce of the application process is DONE!!!

Prayers Needed

My friend MW just called and said that her twin brother, Michael, and his wife had an appt today, and they couldn't find their baby's heartbeat. Christina has been contracting for a while now and was getting close to delivering their third little girl. Now they are in L&D having to deal with a still birth. Please keep them in your prayers. This will be especially hard for them to explain to their other two precious girls. Not to mention that MW just had a little girl a couple months ago, so it will be very hard for Michael and Christina to be around baby Rachel for a while, I'm sure.

UPDATE:
There was a knot in the chord. The baby didn't make it.

UPDATE#2:
Mike and Christina are having baby Karson Olivia's funeral today. The doctors think she died on Wednesday. They think the knot has been in the chord for some time, but it wasn't tight enough to do much damage until Karson moved down in the birth canal. At that point they think the knot was pulled tight and she suffocated. Here's the weird part...Christina's dog was all over her whining and pawing at her stomach Wednesday night. They couldn't get the dog off of her much less to leave her alone. On Thursday the dog would have nothing to do with her. It would just lay in the floor facing Christina and whine, but it wouldn't go near her. Is that not freaky??? It's like the dog knew something was wrong.

Another Surgery Update

I know my last few posts have had nothing to do with our adoption journey, but quite honestly, there's not much going on at this point. I need to call St. E's to ask "what's next?" since all our paperwork is in. And our appts for our medical testing for New Begin.nings is Monday. Other than that, we're at another stand-still.

I had another appt for my foot yesterday, and praises that the swelling had gone down and I was able to get my stitches out. But my incision isn't healing as well as they'd like. (Thanks Remi.cade!) So they put some really sticky tape on it, and then gave me the decision of rewrapping and continuing to use my crutches or getting a walking cast. I still can't put any weight on the front of the foot, but the walking cast puts all of it on my heel and it gives me a great deal more freedom. So I opted for a purple cast!!

I'm still in a little pain, but an occasional pain pill or Ty.len.ol helps for the most part. I'll be in the cast for 2 weeks and then on July 8th I'll be fitted for a boot. I still haven't been cleared to drive, which is highly annoying! So that means I'm not able to return to work yet. By July 8th when I get my release to drive I will have been out of work for a month! So I told J that I was going in to work next week and that I promised to go straight to work and straight home each day. I need to get back to work so we can start building our baby fund in our savings back up. Since I bought the bedding (YEA!!) we're a little on the low side.

So that's where we're at! I haven't been able to read all my favorite blogs much b/c I've had to have my foot propped up at all times, but hopefully once my foot gets used to the cast I'll have a little more reading time! I'm dying to catch up with all of you!!!

Going Out on a Limb

The day of my surgery I got a baby catalog in the mail, and when I finally got up the nerve to look through it I found the most precious nursery bedding. So, I bit the bullet and registered for it! Here it is...(we're going with the silver sage)

I'm Getting OUT!!!

I'm so excited!!!! I'm getting out of the house for the first time since my surgery. I literally haven't stepped foot outside the door of our house, but today that ends!!! I get to go to the doctor!!! WOO HOO!!!! **imagine me doing a hobble dance**

I'm sure after an hour or so of not having my foot propped up I'll need to head straight to the couch when we get home. So I'll have J update about the appt when we get home.

UPDATE:

I went to the doctor for my follow-up appt yesterday, and when they took the bandages off the nurse practitioner NP (my doc had an emergency) said I had too much swelling to remove the stitches. So they wrapped me in a compression wrap to help with the swelling and told me to come back Tuesday. Last night around 7:00 I started having shooting pains up my toe, and the pain meds didn't do a whole lot so J called the after hours number. My doctor finally called me back (an hour later!!) and told me that they probably wrapped the compression wrap too tight and to go in this morning and have it rewrapped. By midnight the pain had finally subsided, and now J and I think my foot just had to get used to the tightness. There's a little pain, but it's bearable so I decided not to go in. I told him I was worried it would do the same thing after getting the new wrap, and I didn't want to go through that pain again. I hope I don't regret that decision since it is the weekend and all!!

I asked if I could start driving, and the NP told me no, to wait and see what Tuesday's appt holds, so I'm still banished to the house. But yesterday's appt nice...I finally got to see something other than my house for a change.

J is working part time in the office and full time here at home. He's taking good care of me, but he's working until 11:00 at night trying to get everything done. Talk about feeling like a burden!! Please pray for him. He's so overworked, stressed, tired, and now he's got a sinus infection. I'm worried about him.

So that's what's going on in the Haik household. Thank you so much for the comments and well wishes!!! They really mean a lot!!!

Update on Janna

Thanks for the great ideas! Movies, gossip mags, chocolate, and ice cream have worked well. Janna has been a model patient so far. Of course, it also helps that Maddie keeps her pinned down! That's right...I bribed the dog! It's amazing what a little cheese will buy you.

We have that rolling office chair, but it won't navigate the terrain well--thick burbur (sp?) carpet to hard wood floors to tile to sunken living room with transition strips between each. I just realized we have some chaotic flooring!

I also thought about the towel on the crutches, but Janna's mom came up with a better solution. Lamb's wool has done the trick. Who knew?!?

If engineer's are cut from a special cloth, it's probably Nomex (fire retardant) or burlap (cheap and functional). With all this fabric talk, I wonder if I could be the next Design Star. I bet there's a shortage of engineering influence amongst fashionistas.

Hello New Bunion?

J here with a "bunionectomy" update. I just read the "Goodbye Old Bunion" blog, and I can't help but wonder. If the footsie face lift provides cute feet made to wear all those cute (and often uncomfortable) shoes, are we saying "goodbye" to old bunion or rolling out the red carpet for Bunion 2.0? But I digress.

The osteotomy (or so the doctor called it--but what does he know?) went well. Janna had 3 pins put in her foot and is already home resting. She has eaten, which is a good sign. The pain meds leave folks feeling nauseated, so it's good that she wants to eat and can keep food down.

I just realized that I myself have not eaten. I need to remedy that before I become cranky and my bedside manner deteriorates. But I digress again.

When we got home from the hospital, we were surprised by flowers and a Blockbuster gift card at the back door. Looks like I have a trip to the video store in my future. I just hope that I can muster the will to rent the movies she will choose. Seriously...you cannot imagine the sacrifices I am making here! Then again, that might just be my empty stomach talking!!

I've only seen one down side so far. Her crutches are uncomfortable. I don't know if this comes through in her blogging, but my wife can (on the rarest of occasions) be (just the teensiest bit) strong willed. I worry that she will grow weary of the crutches and try to get around without them, leading to weight being placed on that left foot. That's a problem.

Doc said no weight on the foot for at least 3 weeks. The weight would break the pins and prevent healing. I have completed a thorough statistical analysis that considers her personality, the lack of 24-hour oversight (and/or physical restraints), and the mind-numbing effects of lying around all day. There is an 0.0003% chance of zero weight being placed on that foot for 3 weeks.

Hence, I've decided to forgo nagging and have preemptively entered damage-control mode. Internet research revealed two keys to effective damage control: (1) a quick, compelling media campaign and (2) systems that prevent recurrence of the problem. I need creative motivational spins that make her WANT to remain supine, thus minimizing the repeated event of weight being placed on her fair, fragile foot.

That's the plan, but there is one major problem. I am an engineer with no people skills...not a talented HR spin doctor. Therefore, I NEED YOUR HELP. Any and all ideas are welcome!

Goodbye Old Bunion

Today is my last day with my annoying bunion!! YIPPEE!!! No more funky looking foot! Bring on the bunionectomy (and cute shoes)!! It's actually called an ostiotomy (sp?), but when I say that people look at me funny so I've gone with calling it a bunionectomy. Apparently this is a pretty painful surgery, but I'm ready!!! I'll be unable to get to the computer for a few days b/c I'll be under the influence of pain meds. I'll have J update when we are home from the hospital and give you periodic updates until I'm able to get back to the computer.

At a Stand-Still

I wish I could give y'all an update that things are moving along with the adoption process, but things have come to a stand-still.

Ne.w Begin.nings

• We got a call from them a week ago to let us know that our applications were being reviewed and we would be told soon whether it was accepted or not.
• We're waiting on them to send us two more forms to fill out. I asked for them to be sent a few weeks ago, but we still haven't gotten them. I sent an email asking for them again yesterday.
• We still need to get our medical clearances. I'm going to do my pre-op for my foot surgery on Wednesday so I'll have her fill mine out then. I'm hoping she'll also fill out J's form based on the appt she had with him a few months ago for our home study. If not, then he'll have to make another appt to go see her. (Lord only knows when he'll have the time for that!)
• We have a few more forms to send in, but I'm waiting to send them in with the ones that they need to send us so that we're not mailing a bunch of separate envelopes. I'm trying to make things as easy as possible.
• We need to write and turn in our Dear Birth Mother letter. We've been working on it, but it's just not coming along as well as I thought it would. Of course if my husband would have osme time to help me out it might come along a little faster.
• We need to turn in our photo book. They're sitting here ready to be mailed in...just waiting on approval and our Dear BM letter to be finished

St. Eliz.abe.th's

• We've turned in the whole application minus J's medical form. (Same scenario as above.)
• I'm guessing they are waiting on J's medical form to approve us.
• We need to write the Dear Birth Mother letter.
• We need to turn in our photo book

So that's what's left to do in order for us to be "paper pregnant" and officially on the waiting list. I'm still hoping to have everything in by late June.

Roses

Farah gave me a . She's such a sweetie!! I would love to nominate her for this award (even though she's already been nominated) because of how kind and encouraging she is. I can't even begin to count how many blogs I have seen her comment on. She truly cares about each one of her blogging friends, and I appreciate all that she adds to this community!

With that said, I'm nominating...


1. Jamee - for the grace with which she deals with her autoimmune disease and her IF. Our lives seem to parallel one another's and I am constantly blessed by how she lives each day, even days full of great physical pain, with such hope and faith.

2. Beth - for her prayer support. A little over a year ago, Beth and I committed to being each other's prayer partner as we trudged through the IF muck. We have never met in person, but in getting to know one another online through several messsge board sites we grew to be friends, and found that we shared a common belief in God. She's now a new mommy, and I'm absolutely thrilled for her! It's such a blessing to know that there are people out there that are wanting us to have a child almost as much as we do, and they are lifting us up in prayer as we go through our adoption process.

3. Elaine - for her immense faith throughout her journey. I am always touched by how elloquently she writes, and I'm always left wishing I could express my thoughts and feelings as beautifully as she does. What I love about her is that you can hear how her relationship with Christ drives her through the ups and downs of IF.

4. JJ - for her perseverance and the way she educates, encourages and ministers to not only me, but everyone in the IF community. (Though she was given this award from Farah, I had to list her here with the others who have blessed my heart so much because she's an amazing woman who has changed my life and my outlook on my infertile life.)

5. Angie - for her constant prayers and encouragement. Her emails, calls, texts, and comments have truly been a blessing to me. She's an amazing friend with the heart of an angel!!



So ladies...here’s what to do:

1. On your blog, copy and paste the award, these rules, a link back to the person who selected you, and a link to this post: You will find the story behind the Pink Rose Award here and other graphics to choose from there. (It's really such a sweet story)

2. Select as many award recipients as you would like, link to their blogs (if they have one), and explain why you have chosen them.

3. Let them know that you have selected them for an award by commenting on one of their posts.

4. If you are selected, pass it on by giving the Pink Rose Award to others.

5. If you find that someone you want to nominate has already been selected by someone else, you can still honor them by posting a comment on their award post stating your reasons for wishing to grant them the award.

6. You do not have to wait until someone nominates you to nominate someone else.


Please remember that you don't have to be listed here in order to give this "pink rose award" to someone. All of you listed on my blogroll have changed my life in one way or another. You have all supported and encouraged me, whether it's through the words you've written on your own blog or the comments you've left on mine, and I hope that you will pass this along to all the women who have made a difference in your life! Then go here and let Kymberli know that you'd like to be added to her "rose garden".

Memorial Day

We had a great time spending the weekend at my parent's house. They got a new pool put in, and this was our first time to swim in it, and I gotta tell ya...I was a fish. I LOVE pools, and I've been trying to talk J into getting one for some time now, but being the money conscience person he is, he won't do it because we won't get the money back when we move. So I guess I'll just have to make more trips to my parent's house to satisfy my pool cravings!!

My niece called me her dolphin, and kept saying, "Let's go, dolphin, take me to school. Now take me home. Now let's go to Target." It was so funny! (And it was a great workout, too!)

My niece's best friend and her mom came over to swim, and my parents got out this huge school bus float for them to play in. They loved it!!

Since J is so fair skinned he called himself the "pool vampire" because he only swam once the sun went down. He spent his days reading in the shade. But his evenings were full of pool basketball. It's a good thing my parents got the basketball hoop. Otherwise I don't think J would have gotten in the pool at all.

Maddie wouldn't get anywhere near the water, but she didn't mind riding in the big yellow school bus float! Well, for a little while, anyway.

We loved floating on the noodles!

Jessica loved jumping off the side of the pool!
Jessica wanted to be like the big people and play basketball, so J, my dad and brother helped her put the ball in the hoop. She had a ball!!