Terrible Twos...er...Ones!!!

OMG! You know the kids who act out only in public, who have tantrums at the drop of a hat in public, who embarrass their parents in public??? I HAVE ONE!!!

J is a complete angel at home. Going out in public is total touch and go. Two nights ago we went to Applebees and J was so well behaved. He played with his crayons, fed them imaginary food, played peek a boo with me, and ate all of his food. He started to have a fit at one point but Daddy gave him "the look" and J immediately corrected himself. We got lucky that night. Today, not so much.

Daddy had a ceremony at his job and I baked a cake for them. They invited us to stop by for the potluck to have some lunch. It was scheduled to start at 11:30. I knew right then that it would be a problem b/c J usually takes his nap between 11:30 and 12 noon. Well I took my time leaving and decided to stop at the bank and pick up my friend on the way to Daddy's job. This would make the ride longer and let J get a nap in the car. Well he sang for half the ride, then rubbed his eyes to fight the sleep. 5 minutes away from Daddy's job and all is silent...I look in the mirror and J is zonked out!! So I parked in the lot and called Daddy and told him that we would sit in the car until the were ready to start the luncheon. I laughed at myself b/c only a mom would sit in her car to let her baby finish a nap. We sat in the car for 45 minutes. I felt that the nap should have refreshed him, even if only for an hour or so. Well he woke up when I took him out of the car. He smiled and played with his daddy, carried my purse around, and played with my keys while in Daddy's office. Then 10 minutes later the meltdowns started. I was letting him play with a broken keyboard on Daddy's desk and all of a sudden he screamed at it and slammed his fist on it and tried to throw it down. I said "No baby be nice." Oh that set him off! He threw his head back and I sat him on my lap and he bit me. So we have started putting him in timeouts. We've been doing it now for about a week and he simply sits on the floor for 30 seconds (if that long) and he has already picked up on changing his behavior, but he didn't understand the timeout in Daddy's office. So I pulled out his umbrella stroller and strapped him in it. Then we went to the luncheon. He was doing fine and then Daddy's coworker asks why we have him in the stroller. Why not let him out to play. That bothered me a bit b/c Daddy knows what his child needs and why his child is in the stroller. So the guy takes J out, J immediately starts to have a fit b/c he doesn't want to be held, instead he wants down. He gets down and starts pulling the table clothes off the tables. So I got out of line and put him back in his stroller. They can call me mean but it was only going to get worse from there. So finally I sit down and I start to feed him. I packed him some spaghetti, which he devoured the night before. I put some in his mouth and he dug his fingers in his mouth and threw the food on the floor. I said, "Okay. Let's try this again." I gave him some more and this time he starts crying and having a tantrum. Daddy's other co worker chimed in to say, "Oh he must not like that then." Um no, he enjoyed this last night. Why do people assume that parents don't know what's wrong with their kids?? So then she says, Well what's wrong with him?? I said "Nothing is wrong with him. He is acting his age." So I tried again with the spaghetti and he finally started eating it. After he was done he continued to have fits b/c he didn't want to be in the stroller. As soon as I was done eating I took him out and he was fine...for 5 minutes. Then me friend who came with me and is 21 weeks pregnant held him for me while I folded his stroller up and took out his jacket. She started putting his jacket on for me. He had a spoon in his hand and she tried to take the spoon and put it in his other hand so that she could put on his jacket. He had a tantrum. He threw his head back so hard and bust my friend's lip! Her lip swelled up pretty badly. I was so upset and embarassed. Daddy called me on the way home so that we could discuss J's behavior. He is worried and wants to have J evaluated b/c he only acts out like that in public. I told Daddy that I don't believe there is a single thing wrong with J. He is a very independent child and he is learning how to express himself, but he can't use words yet. He acts out in public b/c there's really nothing familiar to him and he's attracted to new things. When we tell him No he gets upset. We need to figure out a way to help him work through his anger in public. Hopefully we can figure something out soon b/c at this rate, J and I will have cabin fever for a long time!!

Happy 1st Birthday J!!!

One year ago today, I was expecting to just spend the day at home watching television and shopping for my Secret Santa. I had just left the house to get a Borders Bookstore giftcard for my SS when my cell phone rang. "Are you ready to come and get your son??" OMG YES!!!! We made the 3 hour drive and met our son later that night. It seems like it was just yesterday that I laid eyes on a beautiful baby boy with a head full of hair, and an uncanny resemblance to my husband. Even the nurses made comments on that! I knew from that point on that it was God's will. J changed our lives completely and made us so happy. We've been through so much in his first year of life: Colic, Reflux, Food Allergies, the passing of my grandma (his great grandma), daddy's promotion, J's first big injury (chipped tooth). I love every minute of being his mommy, even during the tantrums, LOL! And I also love seeing how much Daddy is in love with his little guy! He is still waiting for the best day to get J outdoors for some pictures of them in matching NY Giant sportsgear. J gets so excited when his daddy gets home from work. It's the sweetest thing and I thank God for bringing us together.

Also on this day, I want to remember and pray for J's birthmom. This is a special and happy day for us, but it may be an emotional and sad day for her. It's the day that she was separated from a baby whom she bonded with for 9 months. It had to be a difficult thing and I'm sure that today she will have a flood of emotions. Please remember her in your prayers today. I'll leave you with a few pictures from Dec 4, 2006 and from Dec 1, 2007!

Accurate Adoption language

I have had some things on my mind lately b/c as J's first birthday quickly approaches, adoption questions are popping out of the woodworks. Don't get me wrong, I love answering the questions, but lately the terminology they use has started to bother me a bit. Will he know that he's adopted? Does his mom call him? Will you tell him about his mom? And the one that really stung, Does he really feel like your child?" So with that, I would like to share with you, what my online friend Joy shared with me recently...

Natural Child: Any child who is not artificial.
Real Parent: Any parent who is not imaginary.
Your Own Child: Any child who is not someone else's child.
Adopted Child: A natural child, with a real parent, who is all my own.
--- Rita Laws, PhD


Using accurate adoption language when speaking about adoption is extremely important. Even well meaning family members and friends can inadvertently convey the misconception that adoptive families are less real or permanent, and that a child who was adopted remains somehow different. This can be hurtful and hard to forget by the adoptee or adoptive parents.

Here are some points to remember:

*As with race or gender, the fact that a person was adopted should be mentioned only if it's essential to the story. If it's used, relevance should be made clear. A daughter, niece, granddaughter, or cousin who joined the family through adoption is -- and should be described as -- simply a daughter, niece, granddaughter, or cousin, not as an "adopted daughter", etc. Once an adoption is final, a child is simply a regular member of the family.

*If it is relevant to mention adoption, past tense phrasing is appropriate, such as "Jane was adopted in August 2006" rather than "She is adopted". Adoption is just one of many events in Jane's life, not an immutable personal trait. Jane's family should be referred to simply as father, mother, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. The man and woman who shared in Jane's conception can be referred to as the birthparents (NOT "real" or "natural" parents).

*The reasons that people adopt are rarely relevant. To suggest or say that someone "couldn't have a baby of his or her own" is inaccurate. Adoption is a choice, and is not second best. Children who join families through adoption are their parents "own" by law and by love. Families are formed by love, not biology.

Words not only convey facts, they also evoke feelings. The way we talk, and the words we choose, say a lot about what we think and value. When we use positive adoption language, we say that adoption is a way to build a family just as birth is. Both are important, but one is not more important than the other.

Please choose positive adoption language instead of the negative talk that helps perpetuate the myth that adoption is second best. People who use incorrect terminology should be politely corrected. When we use positive adoption language, we educate others about adoption.

First Haircut!!

We took J for his first official haircut on Vet's Day. Of course it had to be done while Daddy was off b/c I couldn't do it alone. We took him to the salon and then we had to decide if we wanted them to use the clippers or scissors. I hadn't thought of that. Daddy first said clippers, then he said scissors. I said "If you are getting nervous, we can leave out right now!" LOL! In the end we decided to go with the scissor cut and here's the result...

J's new smile

I'm so sad about this so I'll let the picture do the talking...

J's first big boo boo :(

Yesterday J was playing with his toys in the living room. I fixed myself some ice cream and went to sit on the couch and read a book while he was playing. He saw the ice cream and walked over to beg for some. Of course, he couldn't have any b/c of his food allergies. He figured it out soon enough that it was something he couldn't have, so he turned around to play with his toys. He grabbed a toy and was running to put it in my lap. He lost his footing and fell, and hit is face on the coffee table. I immediately got up to get him b/c I just knew his lip was cut, but it wasn't. I was like "Wow how is it not cut? He hit pretty hard?" He was sobbing and tried to suck his thumb to soothe himself. He pulled his thumb out of his mouth and I saw blood on it. So I opened his mouth but he snatched away, then I saw white crumbs on his cheek. I knew instantly that he chipped his tooth :( I brushed them away and tried again to peek in his mouth. Then I saw the blood, so I held a wet towel to his mouth. It wasn't bleeding badly at all, but he was upset. He whined and said "Maaaamaaaaa!" for about 30 minutes before falling asleep. I cradled him and got a good look in his mouth. The chip is not bad at all, but it's there. It makes me so sad that this happened to my baby. I cried. He is in no pain at all today though. He has been playing, eating, laughing, just being himself. Now it's just bothering me. I just want to put him in a bubble. I want to protect him from everything. I know I can't do that, but I can protect him from the evil coffee table...it's going in the garage!!

Here is a picture taken the day before he fell...Look at that smile!

Journal Entry

J did something last night that seriously made my heart melt. I've been replaying it back in my mind since then, so I figured I need to record this info somewhere so that I can revisit it in the future.

Yesterday evening, I left J home with Daddy while I ran out to get us some dinner and to pick up J's prescription. When I got home I walked in the living room and they were both cuddled up on the couch watching TV. J looked up and saw me. He proceeded to push his way off of Daddy's lap. Once he got to his feet, he looked at me and squealed then ran full speed with his arms wide open and the biggest, cutest smile on his face!! He actually ran into my arms!! My heart melted. I love that little boy so much!

I've been TAGGED!!!

I've been tagged by Sherri!! I've never been tagged before, but it's pretty cool!

Rules: Once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they’ve been tagged.

1. I am not a fan of the cold weather. I am already wishing spring would get here soon!

2. I miss working a 9-5. I love staying home with my son, but I also miss having a set schedule, getting up and driving to work in the morning, and mingling with other adults. With that said, I don't know how much I would be able to enjoy a 9-5 at this point b/c I would definitely miss spending my days with my son. I guess I'm torn.

3. I was on birth control pills for 9 months, in order to regulate my cycles. Prior to the birth control pills my cycles were only 20-23 days long. This was my first month off of the pill and my cycle was a perfect 28 days long!!!! This made me so happy!

4. I used to be a party girl in my younger years! LOL! I partied every weekend and was usually the lofe of the party. That's hard to believe isn't it? I actually can't believe it myself.

5. I'm a very kind person and would love to help everyone in need and often times I would give my last dime to help a family member. Unfortunately, they don't always do the same for me. I still have a hard time saying no, though.

6. Sometimes I feel like I can never finish what I start. I never finished college. The first time I had to leave college was b/c my mom was in an accident and was almost paralyzed. I finally got back in and Hurricane Katrina destryed the city when I only had a year and a half left before graduating. I am now on a very LONG waiting list and just don't see myself getting back in, although I would love to finally graduate. In fact, my grandma who passed in May, was looking forward to attending my graduation.

7.I think online shopping is evil!! It is too easy to spend money that I shouldn't be spending! If there was no online shopping, I would probably gain more interest on my checking account in the winter b/c I would never want to go anywhere in the cold! HAHA!!

8. I really LOVE bunnies but can't stand the smell of their urine. I'd have to clean the cage everytime it pees b/c I have a nose like a german shepard!

Okay,now to tag 8 people....Hmmm.... Alicia, Amber, Amber, Amy, Liz, S, Liz, and Lyndsay!

11 months old!!

Can you believe it?!?! My BABY is 11 months old today! It seems like just a few weeks ago, we first laid eyes on our handsome angel from heaven! And now he's walking, talking, and just so much fun!! I fall more in love with him everyday, when I didn't think I could love him anymore than I already do. This morning Daddy and I walked in his room to get him out of the crib. As soon as he saw us, his face lit up, he smiled really big, and reached his arms out for me. Daddy said "Aw, doesn't that just make your day?!" It truly does. I thank God for him :D

Naughty blogger!!!

I've been such a bad blogger lately! I apologize. One evening I came on to update the blog, but it wouldn't accept my new post, so I gave up and forgot to come back and try again. So let's catch up....The last time I posted was J's video of him taking about 9 steps right? Well now he's taking 15-20 steps at once before MAKING himself plop down, so basically he's a toddler! He refuses to crawl anymore. He puts his hands on the floor to balance himself then stands up and walks all around. He walked through Daddy's office for Halloween and everyone was giving hims candy! He really did get lots of candy! Too bad he cant eat it though, so I'll just use it to stuff his goodie bags for his birthday party ;)

I'm mailing out invitations today in hopes of giving out of town family enough time to plan to come down for his birthday party. And since I mentioned that, I'll use my blog as a place to vent something that has been bothering me for some time now. When I brought J home from the hospital, my mom gave me a shower 2 weeks later. My mom's side of the family showed up (my mom only has 2 sisters) some of her cousins came and my grandmother came. My dad's family is the larger side (he has 7 siblings and they all have kids and their kids have kids)The only people that came from my dad's side was one of my aunt's and my grandmother who recently passed in May. We are talking about a family that usually packs the house for ANY occasion so I was surprised when no one came. I felt a little sad about it b/c I felt like perhaps they didn't think my shower was a big deal since I adopted my baby. But I was far too over the moon with excitement about my son, so that sadness soon was pushed behind me. But then his christening came up. It was a month after my grandma passed away. I even went through the trouble of scheduling his christening on the day after one of my cousin's wedding b/c I knew the family would be in town for the weekend. The entire family was at the wedding, but the only one's who showed up for J's christening and the little party afterwards was his godmother and my aunt from my mom's side of the family and one of my cousins with her kids. This time I felt seriously upset b/c my aunt baked a cake, my mom purchased balloons, and even had out some finger foods. No one bothered to come or even call. I just don't know what to think about that at all, but I have a feeling this is going to happen for his party, which is why I'm sending out invites today, a month early. Perhaps I should have sent them 2 months early. I will be upset if his family does not come to celebrate his first birthday with him, but it won't stop me from celebrating my baby's first year! I am inviting all of my friends and their children who are all anxious and can't wait to meet J or see him again. I am ordering some coloring books as favors and usually I'd have to order 50 plus if I planned on having all of the kids in the family to show up, but since I don't expect them to come, I'm only ordering 20 of them. I have a feeling I won't regret it.

Well...It's official!!!

10 months old!!

I can't believe my baby is 10 months old today!! In only 2 months, my baby will be 1 yr old. My nephews will be so excited b/c they hate that his age is only in months. They told me to let them know when he is no longer "Zero years old"!! LOL! Well it's coming soon boys!

We are still looking around and preparing ideas for J's birthday party. We plan to decorate my mom's house like Elmo's World...Complete with toddler like drawings, colorful balloons, crayons, and Dorothy the goldfish! We will also have goldfish bowls filled with colorful goldfish crackers and one will be used for a punch bowl. My sister is going to order an Elmo cake and I will have to have J's smash cake made by Whole Foods so that he can enjoy his cake without awful side effects. I am going to have some coloring books made with Elmo talking about J's birthday party and each child (there will be SEVERAL) will get a book and a pack of crayons. Also, we will set up a special call directly from Sesame Street, and Elmo will sing Happy Birthday to J. Yeah, I know what you are saying....All that for a 1 yr old?!?! LOL, I agree! But you wouldn't believe how much he loves Elmo. If he even hears Elmos voice he giggles! Sure he won't remember, but the look on his face will be priceless!

We did run into a minor problem though...We found a place that rents out an Elmo costume, but we need someone who can play Elmo. Hmmmmmm....Daddy and I brainstormed and couldn't come up with anyone. My dad has no idea who Elmo is...my brother would REFUSE to talk in a baby voice like Elmo does...My cousins are all "too cool" to do it. I said that I would do it b/c I know exactly what songs J loves and I would definitely put a smile on his face, but Daddy doesn't want me to. He says I have to be in the pictures of J with Elmo. So that's out. So my mom is going to ask their 13 yr old neighbor. She is really god with kids and I'm sure she would love to dress up and act silly for the kids. If she agrees we will rent the costume and I will send her all of J's DVDs and make her study them until Dec 1!!! HAHAHA! Just kidding! She already knows how to sing the Elmo song to J and make him laugh. She will do an awesome job :)

Here's a clip of J laughing at Elmo!

Goodbye Sheriff Harry Lee

Jefferson Parish Sheriff Harry Lee passed away yesterday after a 5 month battle with leukemia. He was 75. Harry Lee was sworn into office in 1980 and did his job well up until the day he died. He became one of the most famous politicians in Louisiana history. He was 3 weeks away from the next election, which he planned to run in for re election. He will definitely be missed by many. RIP Sheriff Harry Lee.

http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/10/jefferson_parish_sheriff_harry_1.html

One year ago today....

We got the call that we were chosen by J's birthmom to parent her unborn child!

Our caseworker told me 2 weeks before that we were being shown to a 16 yr old rape victim due in November. It was hard for me to get excited b/c of our past failed matches. I felt that this one would end up the same way, with us still waiting. Well I was on my way home from work and just before I turned into my subdivision I remembered we needed dog food. So I kept driving and headed for PetSmart, when my cellphone rang. I remember exactly where I was on the road. I saw that it was the number from the agency and got a little excited! I answered and our caseworker was so excited! She said, "Hi! Are you off from work yet?!" I told her I was and she sayed that she stayed at work later today b/c she wanted to be the one to tell us the "great news"! Great news?!?! She said " Well you recall that we were showing your profile to a 16 yr old rape victim? Well she and her mom chose you to parent the baby!!" My first response was, "Well should we really get excited about this? I would hate to get our hopes up and then get my heart broken again." She told me that she understood how I felt, but that this young lady and her mom truly wants to place the baby.She told me that the baby boy was due on Nov 29 and that we should plan to stay close to home for Thanksgiving and that we will have a wonderful Christmas Gift! We talked for about 20 minutes in the parking lot of PetSmart. The last few minutes I stood outside of Petsmart absorbing what had just happened. I was shaking as I walked in and as I paid for the dog food I had tears in my eyes! I'm sure people thought I was crazy!! I wanted to call and scream out to everyone that I was going to be a mommy!! FINALLY!!! But I had to wait until I got in my car so no one would call the cops on me!! Well I called someone to tell them the good news....My MOM!!! Yes I called my mom first! LOL!! We both screamed and cried! I asked her not to tell family yet until we were sure it would work out. Then I called Daddy, but after two failed matches and a scam, Daddy couldn't get excited. I totally understood. It didn't start to feel real until November. The time was drawing near and we never got a call that the birthmom changed her mind. We also started on his nursery and my mom purchased a crib for him. Of course I couldn't resist and I started buying baby clothes and a travel system!! Pretty soon the room was just waiting for a sweet baby to make it complete. Some days it was hard for me to look at it, but other days it brightened my day. Nov 29 came and went...We started to lose hope...Then on Dec 4, I was on my way to the bookstore when my cell phone rang. As faith may have it, I was on the same spot on the road when I got the call about the match!! Our caseworker said "Are you ready to come and get your son?" And the rest, as they say, is history :D

So one year ago today, we got the call that would change our lives forever!!

My silly husband...

I noticed that I had never posted a picture of my husband and I on the blog. I went through my pictures today to try and find a nice candid of the two of us....NO.SUCH.LUCK. Daddy never takes serious pictures unless they are professional! So I decided to post the candids, showing off my hubby's silly side!




He even tries to teach J how to take silly pictures!

Don't fall for it J!!!!!

More cute shots!

As you can see, I've been having lots of fun with my camera!! I have lots of shots begging to be framed, so I'm going to upload them to shutterfly and order a few prints. I'm tempted to blow up the last shot and put it on my wall...What do you think?

New Camera!!!

I finally got a new digital camera that I absolutely love! It's the Canon A560 Powershot and in my amatuer opinion, it's AWESOME! I've been doing little photo shoots with J and he's such a poser. I get frustrated sometimes when the flash decides not to go off when J gives an especially cute pose! I'm sure it's not the camera, but the photographer who doesn't know how to use her camera yet ;) Do you think I could show him the dark image and ask him to do that pose for me again?? LOL!

Milk/Soy free birthday cake???

Does that even exist? J is showing no signs of outgrowing his MSPI before his first birthday. One spoon of anything with milk or soy and he vomits all day. So what do I do for his smash cake? I HAVE to get a picture of him digging in icing! But can he even have icing? I already know where I'm ordering his Elmo cake, which will be for the guests, but now I need to find a recipe for a Milk/Soy free cake, hopefully with icing of some sort. I'll be searching for great and easy recipes. If you know of any let me know!!

Planning first birthday party!!

I can't believe it's almost been a year already! My baby is growing up too fast! Everyone told me the first year would fly by, but I didn't think it would go by THIS FAST! So now we are planning his first birthday. At first I was all set to give him a duck themed birthday party (all for my viewing pleasure of course!) but he is SOOOO in love with Elmo, so I have decided to give him what he wants ;) So far, I'm set on an Elmo cake and hiring someone in an Elmo costume to come and entertain the kids. I'm still trying to decide if I should do the party at my mom's house or mine. I would love to do it here, but I worry that most of my family will not want to drive the 2.5 hours to his party. But if I give it at my mom's house, then we will have to make the birthday boy ride 2.5 hours to his own party...Is that fair?? LOL? Perhaps I will call family and ask them if they would be willing to come here for his birthday. We've been in MS for almost 2 yrs now and the only family that has ever visited us has been my parents and my brother. I really want J's cousins to be there at his party, so I'll have to decide on the best spot. Oh well...I have 3 months left right???

The move is done!!!

I am SO HAPPY that this is all over!! Life can now return to normal! LOL ;)

I am in love with our new house. It is so beautiful and roomy. The open floor plan is awesome and I feel so comfortable. I hadn't noticed but the paint on the walls is a pretty beige color throughout the house so we don't have to rush into painting rooms. We do plan to paint J's room next week b/c beige does not go well with his Nautical theme. We plan to redo his stripes which should be fun. Last time we did this was before he was born, but now we have to tackle this with a busy baby in the house! Also we will try to paint the kitchen, which I expect to be tough b/c we have 9 ft ceilings! No step ladder will get us up there! Those are the only two rooms we plan to change so far. I like the beige colors in our living room b/c it goes great with our red couch and love seat. Also I've already put the guest room/office together and the beige looks great in there. Also I will decorate around the beige walls in our room. I do plan to add some darker brown accents to the wall to make it "pop". LOL, Can you tell I've been glued to HGTV lately? I'm still trying to decide if I want to change the color in our master bathroom yet.... I'll post pics in the future ;)

Ok I'm sure you all are just screaming at me to post this great news huh?? Ok Ok...J said MAMA!!! He started saying it the week before we moved! At first I thought it was a fluke, but now he says it when he sees me. He could just be sitting in his room playing and if I walk in he turns around and says ma ma ma ma ma and crawls to me...But that's not all!! When I posted my last blog, that was the only great news I had for you but now I have more!! HE'S WALKING!!!! J took his first wobbly steps on Saturday while we were moving in the new house. He has been standing up on his own without pulling up on anything for the past month now. He hates being on his hands and knees so he was determined to walk. I think the carpet in the new house gave him the courage to take those steps. He takes about 3 steps at a time before falling but can walk an entire room if I hold his hand. It's very funny to look at b/c he is so tiny and does not look like he should be walking. I'm so proud of him! I'll try to catch that on video soon. I hope everyone is doing fine and getting prepared for the holidays that are quickly approaching!

1 more day!!!

Well we close tomorrow and since I still have some packing to do, this post will be short. We get the key tomorrow and we will start to move the boxes out of this house and into the new one. Friday my dad and brother are coming and we will move the furniture. Hopefully we will be done with everything by Saturday and we can go out for some crab legs!! That's all for now but stay tuned b/c I have some AWESOME news to post on here :)

7 days!!!!

Only 7 days left until we are homeowners!!! Closing is all set for 11 am on Thursday of next week! I am so excited...yet so behind on packing! I started a new job from home taking incoming sales calls from various infomercials. I get to make my own schedule and I'm only required to work at least 10 hours a week. However, this week is the online training and I've been participating in conference calls that last 2-3 hours at a time. And to top it all off...I've been sick!! I started feeling bad over the weekend and by Tuesday I felt like I had the flu! Daddy had to leave to go out of town for the week, so it's been just J and I and it's been hard! I feel much better now, although I still have some sinus pain which makes me think I may have a sinus infection. If it doesn't get better, I'll call the Dr for antibiotics...but until then I NEED TO PACK!!!! If I stay focused I can have everything packed by Sunday which is great.

Now while I am excited about moving into our very first home together, I'm a bit worried about all of these "hidden" costs!! LOL! I thought they all were covered before we signed the contract, but you can never be forewarned of ALL of these hidden fees, I see! And when you purchase new construction, like we did, there are even MORE hidden costs! For instance, the neighborhood we are moving in is very new and there is obviously a standard curbside mailbox that everyone in the neighborhood is obligated to have. We couldn't help but notice b/c every house has these HORRIBLE eyesores in front of their homes. So I told Daddy, "Oh well, I guess we will just have to deal with it since we love the house so much." We both figured, since it seems standard for the neighborhood, then it must come with the cost of the house....WRONG!!! I received an email yesterday that I need to call a company to have my "ugly" mailbox installed for the grand total of $200!!!! Are you kidding me?!?! Bad enough the mailbox is totally not my style, but then I have to pay $200 for it?! Oh well, I love the house enough so I will deal. I'll plant some beautiful flowers around it to make it more pleasant to the eye. Well that's not all...since it's a brand new house, we have to pay extra to have a gas meter installed, and we also have to lay sod in the backyard...the HUGE backyard!! But I'm not complaining b/c the pros definitely outweigh the cons!! A new construction means EVERYTHING on the house is brand spanking new...new roof, new plumbing, new carpet, fresh paint...etc!! It's wonderful. Oh and a jacuzzi tub with separate shower, mom!! I know you are jealous!! LOL! I'll need your help decorating though so don't forget our date!!

Well, I'm off to finish packing. I plan to get alot done today b/c I promised a friend I would meet her at the museum with her kids tomorrow morning. I'm sure J would enjoy a day out, as he's been cooped up in the house ever since we came back from Florida!

LL Cool J

Ladies Love Cool J! LOL! How is this for one cool 8 month old??

Reflections...

I know I posted today already but as I sit and watch Noggin with J, I have some thoughts that I want to blog about...

He knows me as his mommy...This is so surreal to me. Why would it be surreal to me, you ask, since I am indeed his mommy? Well b/c I know where he came from and attachment was always a concern of mine, as it is for many other adoptive parents. Sure I've had him since birth, but there is this talk about mom and baby creating a bond starting from inside the uterus. In the beginning I felt that J and I had to work extra hard at bonding since I didn't carry him for 9 months. I longed for the day that my baby would recognize me as his mommy. J has always been a sweet and friendly baby. He will go to any and everyone one, including strangers in the grocery store. This used to make me wonder, "Does he even know that I'm his mommy, or does he just love EVERYONE the way he loves me?" He never cries for me when I leave him with my mom. He doesn't care if I walk out of the room while he is with his pediatrician. He doesn't care if someone takes him from my arms and walks to another room with him. Deep inside, I've hoped for him to do those things just to make me feel secure. To make me feel that he knows I'm his mother. But this morning J crawled over to me and held his arms up to me. I picked him up and sat him on side of me and he stuck his thumb in his mouth and leaned against my arm and watched his video. He knows I'm his mommy. As we watched his puppet video I thought back on the things that he has done. Things that I failed to realize he's done to show that he knows who I am...When something scares him like a loud noise in the house, he looks at me for reassurance...When he falls and hits his little head, he looks at me to see whether he should laugh or cry...When he's feeling bashful, he sticks his face in my chest to blush...When he's not feeling well he clings to me...When he's hungry, he looks for me...When he choked on his spit up last week while sitting with his Nana, he reached for me with terror in his eyes...A mommy provides reassurance to her child, picks him up when he falls, allows him to be shy, helps him to feel better, and reacts quickly when things go wrong. J knows this. He knows I'm his mommy. He's be learning since day one and so have I. We learned from each other. I learned to be his mother and he has learned to trust me as his mother. This means so much to me.

Sure it would have been so much easier on my ego, if J was not so friendly and only wanted me. But my baby boy has never met a stranger, and this has made it easier for me as a person and as a mommy. If my hubby and I want a night out, we can leave him with a sitter and not worry about him crying for us. And when I return, he is happy to see me...his mommy! I thank God for blessing us with such a good natured, easy going child. I also thank Him for opening my eyes to the obvious. J is my son and I am his mommy. I can't wait for the day that he actually calls me Mommy!!

Packing, packing.....PACKING!!!

13 days until closing...We have to get going with packing. So far so good though. I've pretty much packed away the kitchen and purchased plasticware and frozen dinners...smart move eh?? LOL! We're going out to dinner tonight though;) Also we pretty much have the office packed up. I think that we are taking our time b/c we are only moving to a subdivision less than 1/2 mile up the street. We keep saying, "We're not going far so we don't need to box that up". Well can you imagine what a mess we will have on moving day if we keep that frame of mind?? LOL! It's been a while since I last packed for a big move. Our last move was relatively easy...It was just my husband and I and two dogs. Katrina claimed all of our possessions so we had nothing to move, just a few boxes of donations we rec'd from a few wonderful strangers! But now we have stuff...lots of stuff. I thought that once we started packing that the house would start to look empty...WRONG!! The house looks even more cluttered than before! That can't be right?! I hate to look at clutter, it makes me nervous and I hate to add to it, so it's getting harder and harder for me to continue packing. I just want some of this stuff out of here. I plan to box up some clothes and stash the boxes in the closet in the office. We close on a Thursday, but we won't have help to move the bigger items until Saturday (thanks Dad and Jase!), so the plan now is to use Thursday and Friday to move the boxes and smaller items to the new house. Once this house is less cluttered it will be easier to get clean. I have learned one great tip for moving though...If you want to look like you are making progress, take down ALL of your pictures from the walls! I took ours down last night and our walls look so plain and the rooms actually look bigger. Progress right?

Now to come up with a plan for baby...I may be the first woman in history to make an entire move with a baby attached to her hip at every moment! Oh boy! It's like he knows that I'm trying to get something done and he wants to prevent me from doing it! Could it be that he doesn't want to leave behind his awesome room that mommy and daddy made for him? I've resorted to popping in Baby Einstein DVDs and tossing his toys all over the free space of the house! It's helping so far, but I'm sure he will give me a run for my money on moving day...Nana hurry up and get here!!!

He has a virus :(

J has been feverish, coughing, and feeling weak with no appetite since coming home from Florida. I knew that he possibly caught something that was going around, so I was treating his fever with Motrin. Last night his fever spiked to 101.7 and his cough got worse. I gave him some Motrin and put him in bed with us, with the humidifier on. He coughed and whined all night. We both probably got only 3 hours of sleep last night. I took him to see the Dr today and they said that it's a virus and it has to run its course. She did prescribe him a decongestant and a cough syrup to help him to get some sleep. Also, I got to see his weight which is still 17lbs 10 oz. He hasn't gained much at all, but at least he isn't losing weight anymore :D I can't wait for the virus to pass.

Now about this heat!!! It is 104 degrees here today! What is going on? I really do hope that we get back in the 80s by the end of the month b/c I can't imagine moving in this heat...I can't imagine doing ANYTHING in this heat! Well J is napping, so I'm going to join him b/c we both need the rest. I'll leave you with a picture of J snoozing in the Florida heat :)

I love this mistake!!!

I took this picture myself, while holding J during the Sesame Street show. It was just after Elmo gave him a hug and I just held the camera back and snapped. I didn't even focus, but the picture looks like I took it this way on purpose! You can see the awe in J's eyes, my niece sits beside him looking very pleased, and blurred in the background are my mom and dad, smiling down at their grandson as he enjoys his first live Sesame Street show! This picture is definitely frame worthy in my opinion!

We're Home!!!

What an awesome vacation, but I have to say it's great to be home!! We had lots of fun and J enjoyed every bit of it. Sure he won't remember any of it, but we have lots of pictures to show him when he gets older so that he can see how much he enjoyed his first trip to Disney! I have to say, his favorite thing was the Sesame Street show at Sea World. We got lucky and got first row seats, so I got great pictures of the characters, many suitable for framing in his room. J had a great view and even got a hug from Elmo! Daddy caught the entire show on our camcorder, so we will put it on DVD for J to watch again and again! YAY!! While SeaWorld seemed to be a great day for J, there was one fish that scared him to death...and the fish wouldn't go away. Please excuse my shirtless baby in the picture. It was 102 degrees that day and he was miserable with his shirt on...so was I but I doubt it would have been acceptable had I taken mine off! HAHA! J was able to ride on a few rides with mommy and daddy. I think his favorite was a ride in Dr. Suess land where we rode in a little cart and it told the story of the cat in the hat. The characters were running about as we rode on a track. J loved it and kept turning his head to each wall where there was action. But once Thing 1 and 2 came in and started being naughty and made our cart turn a few times, J didn't like that. He was reaching for me with fear in his eyes, but at the same time still tried to watch the show! But I think the spinning was too much for him b/c when the ride stopped he threw up in the cart! LOL!

So all in all it was a fun and busy trip. J is a little under the weather now with a bad cough and congestion but the Dr called in some meds for him and I'm hoping he starts to feel better soon. Now it's time to start packing for the big move!!

Changed the name...

Just a quick post to let everyone know that I changed the name of our blog to "God Has Heard" which is the meaning of J's name, and the reason why we chose his name. We truly know that he is the answer to our prayers and I want to share it with everyone!

Teasers...

We've been here in Orlando for 2 days now and are having a WONDERFUL time. J is being such a big boy and can spend HOURS at the parks and never even takes a nap, b/c he just has to see it all. He never cries either. We are so blessed! He is enjoying all of the sights and the characters. He really loved Spiderman!

SOLD!!!

Daddy and I just recently put an offer in on our very first home together! We close on August 31 and we are thrilled!! Can wait to share pictures with you all once we move in :D

Trying to post the video....

Let's see if this works....

He's Mobile

J has been crawling for a little over a month now. I took this video a few weeks ago, but he is so much faster now. So fast that I cannot catch him on video without him crawling away! Same technique, only much faster...watch out doggies!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FnLjshCQKg

We are leaving tomorrow evening to go to Disney World for a week, so I can't promise any entries until we get back...but keep an eye out for any surprise posts! Have a great weekend!

Our Adoption Story

What's an adoption blog without the adoption story?? Here it is.....

My husband and I had been trying to conceive for over 2 yrs. I had a surgery in April 2006 (one of many) that showed that my right tube and ovary were completely covered in scar tissue, so my chances of conceiving were cut in half. I have endometriosis, so my chances were already less than 15% each month, now I hear that it has been cut in half making mour chances less than 8%!! It was very stressful for us, to say the least. In July, we decided to pursue adoption.Our initial plan was to adopt internationally from Guatemala. I contacted a local agency to schedule a homestudy and they mailed us an application which required a picture of us. As soon as they got our application, we received a call from them. A call that would change our lives by the end of the year, although we didn't know it! The coordinator told us that they were in need of African American families for their waiting list, b/c many African American birth moms only wanted to place with AA couples. So we decided to get on the list, although we knew the wait could be 2 yrs or more. We also continued to pursue the international adoption and decided that God would send us the child we prayed for, no matter where that may be. Within the first 2 weeks of getting on the waiting list, we rec'd our first call for a baby boy due in August. We met with the birthmom, but unfortunately for us, she changed her mind and decided to parent. It was hard for us, but we were happy for her. We rec'd 2 more referrals and both were not successful. However, in Sept, after only 2 months of being on the list, we got a referral for a little baby boy due on Nov 29, 2006. We were cautiously optimistic, but it seemed as if God had assured us that this would work out in our favor. So much so that we painted the nursery blue! My mom purchased the crib and we decorated the entire room by November. November 29 came and went. I started to get disappointed b/c I was afraid the birthmom would change her mind. My husband took that week off from work, but had to go back on that Monday, Dec 3. I quit my job that week also I remember that the internet was my only sanity!! I was posting daily on the nest and I couldn't call my mom, b/c I kept giving her heart attacks!! She would answer the phone saying "Is he here?!" It was a crazy week to say the least!Tuesday, Dec 4...I was on my way to the bookstore to get a giftcard for my secret santa when my cell phone rang. It was our adoption facilitator. She asked "Are you ready to come and get your baby?" I was like "YES I AM!!!!" I called my husband and told him to get home now, and I called my mom screaming!! The birthmom was in labor and she was 6 cm at the time we got the call. Can you believe that after a week of just waiting that I wasn't packed?!?! WTH?? Then of course my mind went blank! I had to call my mom back and ask her what to pack for the baby. I threw in a few outfits and hats, and a special teddy bear. I was walking out the door when my mom called my phone and said "Don't forget diapers!!" I remember running inside and grabbing an entire pack of diapers and just tossing them in the trunk! J was born at 2:01pm, but we didn't get to the hospital until 6 pm b/c it's a 3 hour drive. When I first saw him I instantly fell in love, but I didn't instantly feel like his mom. We were not treated as we expected we would be at the hospital. When we went to visit J in the hospital, they put us in a room the size of a closet. Nurses kept sticking their heads in and it was bothering me, but my husband told me to hang in there b/c we would have him home with us soon. What really offended me was when we were feeding him and a nurse came in and said "Are you almost done b/c I have a mom who needs this room to breastfeed." I was so upset. I told my husband I was not leaving b/c visiting time was not over. We sat there and the nurse ended up letting the mom come in and we were separated by a curtain, in the small closet room.We met the Bmom in the hospital. She initially wanted a closed adoption, but she finally agreed to meet with us before her discharge. She was so sweet and we felt like we knew each other for years. She told me something that I will forever remember...about the 72 hour time frame she had to wait to sign the TPR(termination of parental rights)..."I know they told you that I had 72 hours to sign the forms, but please don't worry b/c I will sign it. He's your son." I cried in the room! Those words meant so much to me. We went out and purchased her a heart locket as a thank you gift and we also got her a Beyonce CD b/c she loves Beyonce. Well he was born on a Monday and we were supposed to be bringing him back to the hotel with us on that Wednesday. We went out to eat lunch at a restaurant and were all excited b/c it was supposed to be our last lunch together as a childless couple. Well while we were at lunch the agency called with bad news. The nurse discharged the bmom and forgot to ask her to sign the release form releasing the baby to the agency, so he had to stay in the hospital another day. Yep you guessed it...I cried again. I mean I knew it was just ONE MORE DAY, but do you know how long the nights are when you are just so anxious?? My mom kept saying, well get some sleep b/c he will keep you up tomorrow night, but I wanted him to be keeping me up THAT NIGHT It was a tough night, I couldn't stop crying and it felt like the longest night of my life. I woke up and was dressed before DH even woke up. He laughed and was like "Ok let me get dressed so you can get to your son!" Yeah he knew what was up! I would have slept at that hospital if possible. We knew that the bmom had to come back to sign the TPR at the agency, so she would also stop at the hospital to sign the forms, but it wasn't going to be until 2 pm. So I went to feed my baby his breakfast, then we sat with him for 2 hours. Then we went to a local consignment shop and RACKED UP! That passed an hour, then we went back to the hotel for lunch. I kept looking at the clock for his next feeding time. We went back to the hospital to feed him and I decided I wasn't leaving until he was discharged. The nurse came to check on us and I said "He's coming home with us today." She smiled and let me keep him after the visiting hours were up. The agency called and asked if I could meet them at the hospital to get my baby and I said "HA, we are sitting in the closet with him right now!!" So after signing the paperwork we drove back to the hotel with our son! We just stared at him, took pictures and stared some more. He was just the sweetest thing. He did keep us up that night thought! But the few hours of sleep I got was spent cuddling with my son! It was so surreal. The next evening we met with the lawyer to get temporary custody. I will never forget what the judge said. While she was reading her "lawyer stuff" the baby started to fuss a little so I was rocking his car seat, but I was also rocking my body with it, although I wasn't aware. The judge said, "If I had any question as to whether this family should adopt this child, then it has all beed answered once I watched Mom rock her baby. She's a natural!" I cried again! She signed the custody papers and then gave us the pen. So happy! We loaded up the car and drove home as a family of three! My mom and my aunt called us the entire ride home. They were so excited! When I walked through the house with him is when I really felt like I was his mom. I went straight to his room with him and rocked him in the glider. Then we went to bed and slept for 2 hour stretches...mommy bliss. But what was best was waking up in the morning with OUR SON right there!!

First Blog Entry

I'm back!!! For those who remember, I did have a blog during the adoption process, but I disappeared once we came home with J. Well I'll admit it...being a new mommy is HARD!!!! Sleepless nights lasted only 2 months, which is great I've heard, but it took many more months for me to get readjusted to being awake during the day! LOL! Well he's 8 months old now, so can I get you to believe t took me 6 months to readjust??

He's getting so big. He sits unassisted, crawls like a pro, pulls to standing, says Bye Bye, and loves playing with the dogs. He keeps us very busy now that he's mobile. He has two teeth at the bottom and he loves to eat. We recently found that we have to be extremely careful with what he eats b/c he has MSPI (Milk Soy Protein Intolerance). Other than that he is completely perfect and is the love of our lives!