We met with the birthmom and her mom again today. We went to a park and let Anna play.
It was wonderful. It was very relaxed and very comfortable. Such a total 180 from our first birthmom experience.
We really get along with them. Our idea of openness and theirs is the same. And the fact that Anthony will have another grandparent in his life is just wonderful. And J kept calling Anna the Big Sister. Which made me melt over and over again. At the end of the meeting, J asked if she coud hold Anna or a minute. Anna wasn't really having it, she wanted down to play, but J said "Be careful, you're brother's in there, tell him to come out soon!"
She had an appt today and without going into detail, it looks like her body's getting ready to get that baby out. They talked about inducing her Tuesday if she wants. She's 40 weeks on Tuesday and I think they're trying to avoid Easter weekend to be honest. But we'll know more then.
They wanted us to call them sometime this weekend and maybe meet again. That's how much we enjoyed our time together.
So once again, I'm going to be greedy and ask for prayers. I can't wait to hold this little guy!
Friday, March 30, 2012
Friends
I am so very fortunate to be surrounded by such great friends. We have a Catholic moms group here in our area and let me tell you, these women are amazing.
It is so uplifting to be around holy people. It is inspiring to hear about how they teach their children the Faith. It is encouraging to be surrounded by people who think and believe the same things that you do. And all of these things make them amazing.
But I think what I find most amazing about them is their lack of judgementalness. I made that word up I think, but whatever. They don't judge people. Or at least they try their very hardest not to. They take the time to get to know people. To serve people. To listen to people. They're your friend because of who you are, not for any other reason.
A few years ago, I went through a rough time. We'd been married a year plus but had no children. We had a lot of friends. Many of them single/dating/engaged. We had many other friends who were married. All of the married friends had kids. None of the single/dating/engaged friends were quite in our same stage of life. It was lonely and it was a major challenge. I resented a lot of my married with children friends because of their super-fertile selves and I distanced myself from them. I felt alone, like I didn't have anyone to relate to.
Once we heard the news that we couldn't have kids biologically and we had put ourselves full force into the adoption front, it was like a weight was lifted off. Not only did I have a deep desire to be a mom, but I also had a deep desire to fit in. I felt like people were always judging me for not having children. (I know now thats not the case, but I felt it at the time). I wanted to fit in so badly. But more than that, I wanted what they had. Once we started our adoption journey, I had a little bit of what they had. At least I was "paper pregnant". I was waiting for a child. There wasn't one growing in my womb, but at least I felt like I could contribute to a conversation about having children. I felt I could finally allow myself to research and decide on things that I wanted for my child(ren).
During this time, I began to immerse myself among the moms. I made myself fit in, I'll say. I started attending their playdates when I could (I was subbing at the time). I started going to their Mom's Night Outs. And they accepted me. Sometimes it was awkward. You know, going to McD's where all of the children are playing and having other moms ask you which ones were your kids. Explaining "well none, I just came along for fun..." But overall, I was so grateful to feel a part of a mom's group. A group I so desperately wanted to fit in with.
Today those are the same people I find myself with day in and day out. Most of them have kids years older than Anna, but most of them also have kids the same age as Anna. No, I still can't contribute to the conversations on tuition costs or uniforms, yet. But at the same time, none of them can contribute to the conversations on adoption costs or infertility.
***And as a side note, sometimes that's a challenge too. Sometimes I just need to talk to someone who understands the challenges of adoption and infertility. Sometimes I don't want to hear about the challenges and joys of pregnancy, but want to share the challenges and joys of adoption. That's why I so enjoy getting to know other Catholic Adoption bloggers. I don't know many IRL adoptive Mamas. In fact, no one in my close friends. The ones I know are through our Adoption Support Group but most of them have yet to be placed. And that's one of the beauties of my blog, is I can freely talk about our journey.***
I guess when it comes down to it, I'm incredibly grateful. I feel so blessed to be among such wonderful women and families. I'm glad my husband has the opportunity to be around holy men. I'm glad that I can fit in, without judgments. I'm glad that Anna has so many friends who share her Catholic faith. I feel like that takes a lot of worry off of me as a mom. I KNOW her friends, she'll attend school with these friends. I know their families, I know their siblings. And I know their parents strive for holiness each and every day.
So thanks friends, for your encouragement, your acceptance, and for making me a better mom and wife. I know how blessed I am.
It is so uplifting to be around holy people. It is inspiring to hear about how they teach their children the Faith. It is encouraging to be surrounded by people who think and believe the same things that you do. And all of these things make them amazing.
But I think what I find most amazing about them is their lack of judgementalness. I made that word up I think, but whatever. They don't judge people. Or at least they try their very hardest not to. They take the time to get to know people. To serve people. To listen to people. They're your friend because of who you are, not for any other reason.
A few years ago, I went through a rough time. We'd been married a year plus but had no children. We had a lot of friends. Many of them single/dating/engaged. We had many other friends who were married. All of the married friends had kids. None of the single/dating/engaged friends were quite in our same stage of life. It was lonely and it was a major challenge. I resented a lot of my married with children friends because of their super-fertile selves and I distanced myself from them. I felt alone, like I didn't have anyone to relate to.
Once we heard the news that we couldn't have kids biologically and we had put ourselves full force into the adoption front, it was like a weight was lifted off. Not only did I have a deep desire to be a mom, but I also had a deep desire to fit in. I felt like people were always judging me for not having children. (I know now thats not the case, but I felt it at the time). I wanted to fit in so badly. But more than that, I wanted what they had. Once we started our adoption journey, I had a little bit of what they had. At least I was "paper pregnant". I was waiting for a child. There wasn't one growing in my womb, but at least I felt like I could contribute to a conversation about having children. I felt I could finally allow myself to research and decide on things that I wanted for my child(ren).
During this time, I began to immerse myself among the moms. I made myself fit in, I'll say. I started attending their playdates when I could (I was subbing at the time). I started going to their Mom's Night Outs. And they accepted me. Sometimes it was awkward. You know, going to McD's where all of the children are playing and having other moms ask you which ones were your kids. Explaining "well none, I just came along for fun..." But overall, I was so grateful to feel a part of a mom's group. A group I so desperately wanted to fit in with.
Today those are the same people I find myself with day in and day out. Most of them have kids years older than Anna, but most of them also have kids the same age as Anna. No, I still can't contribute to the conversations on tuition costs or uniforms, yet. But at the same time, none of them can contribute to the conversations on adoption costs or infertility.
***And as a side note, sometimes that's a challenge too. Sometimes I just need to talk to someone who understands the challenges of adoption and infertility. Sometimes I don't want to hear about the challenges and joys of pregnancy, but want to share the challenges and joys of adoption. That's why I so enjoy getting to know other Catholic Adoption bloggers. I don't know many IRL adoptive Mamas. In fact, no one in my close friends. The ones I know are through our Adoption Support Group but most of them have yet to be placed. And that's one of the beauties of my blog, is I can freely talk about our journey.***
I guess when it comes down to it, I'm incredibly grateful. I feel so blessed to be among such wonderful women and families. I'm glad my husband has the opportunity to be around holy men. I'm glad that I can fit in, without judgments. I'm glad that Anna has so many friends who share her Catholic faith. I feel like that takes a lot of worry off of me as a mom. I KNOW her friends, she'll attend school with these friends. I know their families, I know their siblings. And I know their parents strive for holiness each and every day.
So thanks friends, for your encouragement, your acceptance, and for making me a better mom and wife. I know how blessed I am.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Anna
We've gotten all of our baby stuff out and Anna LOVES it. She uses the play gym as a tunnel and the swing as a place for her giraffe and baby doll (and random rubbermaid lids that she pulls out of the kitchen cabinets). I think she's going to be a great big sister!
And here are some other cute pictures of our beautiful girl!
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Birthmom Meeting
Our meeting with the birthmom, J, went fantastically today. We hit it off really well. She kept repeating how much she liked us and how confident she felt in her decision. That was good to hear. Her mom was with her and is very supportive of her adoption play.
Basically, J knows that she can't parent. There are some things in her life that prevent her from doing so. But at the same time, she wants to be in this baby's life. She expressed that she knew that if she chose to parent, the reality is that her mother would be the one to care for the baby. Her mother does not want that responsibility as she has just hit retirement and isn't physically up to it. J and her mother both agree that what is best for the child is an adoption plan.
And that's where we came in. They both LOVED our video and profile. They described us as bubbly and down to earth. In reality, I don't feel "bubbly" but I think they meant "enthusiastic." We'll go with that :-). In addition to loving our video within minutes of watching it, once they saw pictures of Anna, they knew we were the family for this baby. Anna is certainly a magnet for people. That's a whole other post in and of itself. If I had a dollar for every time I heard "Your daughter is the most beautiful baby I've ever seen" or "She looks like a doll", we'd have her college fund saved already.
So anyway, back to my point. They fell in love with Anna immediately. They loved us to begin with and seeing her confirmed it, so thank you Anna! This is all very humbling. Again, a post for another day, but wow, it really shows me how God's hand is in all of this.
I can't share too many details about J due to confidentiality issues, but I can definitely say that she is a very strong lady. And I admire her willingness to do what is best for this baby. She definitely wants to have a part in his life, but she knows that she cannot be the parent that he needs. She wants an open relationship and that is one of the reasons she chose us. She wants to be able to visit and keep updated. She wants to be able to see him grow up and have him know who she is. Her mother wants the same. That makes me so happy. We don't have that with Anna and I so wish we did. It's a really powerful thing to be able to say thank you to the woman who carried your child for 9 months.
We talked about a lot, including the hospital stay and extended contact.
But I think what I am most excited about is the name we agreed on. In our first adoption situation, we had a major name gap. Our name and her name were not even on the same planet. J, however, had a name picked out that she wanted us to use as a first or a middle name. The name was Xavier. When she said this, Jeremy and I both looked at each other and knew we agreed. This would be the perfect middle name. What a solidly Catholic name! The name we have picked out is Anthony.
So if all goes accordingly, baby boy will be Anthony Xavier. And that just makes me smile. What a beautiful name for a beautiful boy. That made us feel so at peace with this whole situation. Something so simple really connected us and J and made us both smile at the thought of our son's name.
This post is seemingly random, my emotions have been high and my sleep has been low. So I'm not running off of much. I am so relieved after this meeting and yet I have more nerves than ever.
Finally, they moved her due date up a few days. She's now due on April 3. They won't let her go past April 10. We're hoping it's this week... But that's just cause we don't want to wait two more weeks! We're meeting her again Friday, this time at a park. So that she can meet Anna (we didn't take her with today). She was super excited to meet Anna, who she thinks is just absolutely adorable. And it will be right after her doctor's appointment, so I'm excited to hear about that.
Whew, that's all I can think of for now. I'm exhausted and going to bed.
Prayers are greatly appreciated for J, Anthony, and us as well. Thanks, in advance!
Basically, J knows that she can't parent. There are some things in her life that prevent her from doing so. But at the same time, she wants to be in this baby's life. She expressed that she knew that if she chose to parent, the reality is that her mother would be the one to care for the baby. Her mother does not want that responsibility as she has just hit retirement and isn't physically up to it. J and her mother both agree that what is best for the child is an adoption plan.
And that's where we came in. They both LOVED our video and profile. They described us as bubbly and down to earth. In reality, I don't feel "bubbly" but I think they meant "enthusiastic." We'll go with that :-). In addition to loving our video within minutes of watching it, once they saw pictures of Anna, they knew we were the family for this baby. Anna is certainly a magnet for people. That's a whole other post in and of itself. If I had a dollar for every time I heard "Your daughter is the most beautiful baby I've ever seen" or "She looks like a doll", we'd have her college fund saved already.
So anyway, back to my point. They fell in love with Anna immediately. They loved us to begin with and seeing her confirmed it, so thank you Anna! This is all very humbling. Again, a post for another day, but wow, it really shows me how God's hand is in all of this.
I can't share too many details about J due to confidentiality issues, but I can definitely say that she is a very strong lady. And I admire her willingness to do what is best for this baby. She definitely wants to have a part in his life, but she knows that she cannot be the parent that he needs. She wants an open relationship and that is one of the reasons she chose us. She wants to be able to visit and keep updated. She wants to be able to see him grow up and have him know who she is. Her mother wants the same. That makes me so happy. We don't have that with Anna and I so wish we did. It's a really powerful thing to be able to say thank you to the woman who carried your child for 9 months.
We talked about a lot, including the hospital stay and extended contact.
But I think what I am most excited about is the name we agreed on. In our first adoption situation, we had a major name gap. Our name and her name were not even on the same planet. J, however, had a name picked out that she wanted us to use as a first or a middle name. The name was Xavier. When she said this, Jeremy and I both looked at each other and knew we agreed. This would be the perfect middle name. What a solidly Catholic name! The name we have picked out is Anthony.
So if all goes accordingly, baby boy will be Anthony Xavier. And that just makes me smile. What a beautiful name for a beautiful boy. That made us feel so at peace with this whole situation. Something so simple really connected us and J and made us both smile at the thought of our son's name.
This post is seemingly random, my emotions have been high and my sleep has been low. So I'm not running off of much. I am so relieved after this meeting and yet I have more nerves than ever.
Finally, they moved her due date up a few days. She's now due on April 3. They won't let her go past April 10. We're hoping it's this week... But that's just cause we don't want to wait two more weeks! We're meeting her again Friday, this time at a park. So that she can meet Anna (we didn't take her with today). She was super excited to meet Anna, who she thinks is just absolutely adorable. And it will be right after her doctor's appointment, so I'm excited to hear about that.
Whew, that's all I can think of for now. I'm exhausted and going to bed.
Prayers are greatly appreciated for J, Anthony, and us as well. Thanks, in advance!
Monday, March 26, 2012
Getting ready
I never got a chance to go into "nesting" mode with Anna. She came so suddenly, that what was done, was done and what wasn't, well, it stayed undone for a long time. I did "nest" with our first adoption situation but I didn't really know what needed done.
This time around, I am in full out cleaning and organizing and purging mode. I've been in that mode for weeks, but it's kicked into high gear the last few days. I'm getting rid of so much that we no longer need to make room for what we hopefully need very soon :-).
And at the same time I'm reserved. I mentioned it in my Quick Takes, but I'm scared of a fallthrough. I'm scared of aquiring all this boy stuff only to have the birthmom choose to parent. And on one hand, I've thought that I'd be better off going about as normal and not getting any baby stuff our or really preparing in any way.
And then I sat in Adoration for a few minutes on Sunday (as long as I could sit with a squirmy toddler). I realized that God was asking me to put my whole heart back into the adoption process. While of course, we were 100% ready to be back in circulation, I hadn't yet allowed myself to get my hopes up. I need to let my guard down and allow myself to have that hope.
So I'm cleaning. And I'm organizing. And I'm purging. And I'm praying that all goes smoothly and quickly.
And I'm extremely nervous about our birthmom meeting tomorrow. I've done it before, but maybe that's what makes me nervous. I don't want this situation to be like that one.
So if you get a chance, say a few prayers for us and for the birthmom and baby tomorrow. I hope that I'll feel more at ease after meeting her and talking with her. I'm extremely excited to develop a relationship with her, I want that so bad with Anna's birthmom. But that doesn't make me less nervous.
This time around, I am in full out cleaning and organizing and purging mode. I've been in that mode for weeks, but it's kicked into high gear the last few days. I'm getting rid of so much that we no longer need to make room for what we hopefully need very soon :-).
And at the same time I'm reserved. I mentioned it in my Quick Takes, but I'm scared of a fallthrough. I'm scared of aquiring all this boy stuff only to have the birthmom choose to parent. And on one hand, I've thought that I'd be better off going about as normal and not getting any baby stuff our or really preparing in any way.
And then I sat in Adoration for a few minutes on Sunday (as long as I could sit with a squirmy toddler). I realized that God was asking me to put my whole heart back into the adoption process. While of course, we were 100% ready to be back in circulation, I hadn't yet allowed myself to get my hopes up. I need to let my guard down and allow myself to have that hope.
So I'm cleaning. And I'm organizing. And I'm purging. And I'm praying that all goes smoothly and quickly.
And I'm extremely nervous about our birthmom meeting tomorrow. I've done it before, but maybe that's what makes me nervous. I don't want this situation to be like that one.
So if you get a chance, say a few prayers for us and for the birthmom and baby tomorrow. I hope that I'll feel more at ease after meeting her and talking with her. I'm extremely excited to develop a relationship with her, I want that so bad with Anna's birthmom. But that doesn't make me less nervous.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Happy Birthday Hubby!
Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband!
I hope you have a fantastic day!
You are the best husband an the most adorable and fantastic daddy in the whole world!
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| Birthday 2011 |
What a lucky man, two years in a row now, you've gotten a baby for your birthday!
We love you,
Karen and Anna
Friday, March 23, 2012
Friday Quick Takes (17)
The "Oh my goodness, we're having another baby in 2 weeks!" Edition
I never in my wildest dreams would have guessed we'd have two babies 13 months apart. I feel so incredibly blessed. And it feels sort of like a dream. I'm hoping it will seem a lot more real once we meet the birthmom on Tuesday. And hopefully totally real in a few weeks when we're living life with two babies!
When our caseworker first called and said that the due date was April 6, my mind immediately thought, "sheesh, I have to wait a whole month?" That shows you how with it I've been the last few weeks. April 6 is only two weeks away. That means she's like 38 weeks pregnant and could have that baby any time now! Yikes!
I'm nervous about how Anna will react to the new baby. She is super jealous when I hold anyone else's kid, especially if it's a baby. I know kids adjust quickly, especially kids Anna's age, but I hate for her to feel like her territory's being encroached on! But I also know she will quickly love her baby brother and want to help.
I'm scared of another fallthrough. I'll just come right out and say it. We've been through it once and I don't want to go through it again. I thought (just for a tiny second) about keeping this quiet until the baby was here. I also thought about avoiding getting the house ready for another baby. And then I realized that I am TERRIBLE at keeping things quiet and even worse at being unprepared. I also firmly believe that support and prayers are what get us through rough times so why would I turn that down? How can I turn down prayers for this baby, even if it turns out he doesn't get to be MY baby?
All the things to do are kind of overwhelming. With Anna, we had our entire homestudy/licensing/approval/waiting process to get ready for a baby. With this one, we've just recently put all of the baby stuff away and toddlerized the house. We kind of assumed the wait would be long. I don't know why, I guess I just assumed the worst case. Well, lo and behold, the wait was way short and I find myself scrambling to finish it all tonight. Because that's how I am.
So I'm currently washing newborn diapers ready for a cute newborn bum. I washed all of our baby boy newborn clothes from our adoption fallthrough. And boy are they cute! I pulled out blue blankets and baby bottles. We're hoping to be able to use the name we had picked out, so I pulled out the letters that I'd already made and the bottle labels that I had printed (hopefully the birthmom likes it...the last birthmom did NOT). I got the carseat out of the crawlspace and have to figure out how to rearrange the carseats in the van. We had to talk about Godparents and Baptism dates. We had to talk about sleeping arrangements down the road and who gets what room and when (I know, good problem to have). I got out the swing and bouncy seat and set the infant sleep and play rocker in our room.
I kind of feel like my mind is spinning. Now I'm going to be bored tomorrow because I HAD to do it all tonight! That's the story of my life :-).
Sorry for the overload of all things new baby, but that's pretty much all that's on my mind at the moment... And I'm sure it will be for the next couple of weeks. And I'm so excited that I can't sleep and I hardly ate today! I don't want to wake up and have it all just be a dream!
And one more thing... How did this little teeny tiny peanut girl....
Turn into this big toddler?
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| She was very thirsty after helping her Aunt Sara and Uncle Kel move into their new house. A big cup for a big girl :-) |
I hope this next baby grows up a little slower!
For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
It's a Boy!
It's the post I've been waiting to write!!! (Okay, admittedly, it's only been a month, but I'm so NOT patient!)
If all goes well, we will be parents to a baby boy sometime in the next two weeks!
We just got a call from our case worker that we've been identified again. The birthmom is due on April 6 with a baby boy and she would like to meet us on Tuesday!
Right now it seems as if it's a pretty sure thing. There may be some birthfather issues that need worked out, so the baby will probably be in newborn care after he's born. But the birthmom did say she'd like to see us in the hospital and that she wants us to have visiting rights while he's in newborn care.
There's so much I have to do! Wash newborn clothes, wash newborn diapers, set up our infant sleeper, make some freezer food, oh my goodness, the list is endless!
So please say extra prayers for the birthmom, baby boy, for us, and for Anna, that she has a smooth transition!!!!
I can't even think straight right now!
For someone who is infertile, it is quite a joy to think that we will have two babies just 13 months apart. I cannot believe this is happening to us, what a huge blessing. God is so good to us! And wow, I don't think I can ever look at Lent as penitential again... Two years in a row? That's just crazy talk!
If all goes well, we will be parents to a baby boy sometime in the next two weeks!
We just got a call from our case worker that we've been identified again. The birthmom is due on April 6 with a baby boy and she would like to meet us on Tuesday!
Right now it seems as if it's a pretty sure thing. There may be some birthfather issues that need worked out, so the baby will probably be in newborn care after he's born. But the birthmom did say she'd like to see us in the hospital and that she wants us to have visiting rights while he's in newborn care.
There's so much I have to do! Wash newborn clothes, wash newborn diapers, set up our infant sleeper, make some freezer food, oh my goodness, the list is endless!
So please say extra prayers for the birthmom, baby boy, for us, and for Anna, that she has a smooth transition!!!!
I can't even think straight right now!
For someone who is infertile, it is quite a joy to think that we will have two babies just 13 months apart. I cannot believe this is happening to us, what a huge blessing. God is so good to us! And wow, I don't think I can ever look at Lent as penitential again... Two years in a row? That's just crazy talk!
Hiding
This is what happens when I bring out the vacuum. She runs and hides. But she's still curious enough that she has to see what's going on. And yes, I was cruel and left the vacuum on while I grabbed the camera and snapped the picture. At least she no longer screams bloody murder when it turns on, she just hides.
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| "Please don't let it get me mama!" |
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| "Is it safe to come out yet?" |
Monday, March 19, 2012
St. Joseph
Happy Feast Day!
St. Joseph's Feast Day is one of my favorites. Maybe because two years ago we got to spend it in Italy. It's a National Holiday over there. Everything was closed for the day and they celebrated it big. Maybe it's because St. Joseph is a sweet saint and is such a wonderful model of humility. It could be because we chose St Joseph as the patron saint of the Koinonia retreat we led in college. Maybe because it's a reprieve from the Lenten fasting :-). Really St. Joseph is just such an awesome model of holiness and willingness to do God's will.
So what did we do to celebrate today?
We ate brownies with lunch.
We had a dance part in the family room (I'm not really sure what that had to do with St. Joseph, but it was fun!)
Okay, so not all that exciting, the babies just don't get it yet.
But...
This evening we got to attend Mass with Cardinal George (from Chicago), Bishop Jenky (our bishop) and all of the bishops in Illinois. It. Was. Sweet. They have their principals and presidnts conference for all of the Catholic school principals in Illinois this week in our town. So they had a special Mass. And because it was a solemnity, it was awesome. It's nice to sing the Gloria after weeks of not singing it!
Anna was blessed by our Bishop at Communion. And then after Mass, we were hanging out in the back and Cardinal George walked by us (I didn't realize that's who it was right away, I was busy chasing Anna). Jeremy started up a conversation with him like they were old friends. And I looked like a ding dong. But when we told him Anna's name, he said she had two very solid names. And he gave her a blessing. So she's extra blessed tonight :-).
So all in all, it was a fantastic Feast day. How often to you get to go to a Mass with 10+ Bishops and multiple Cardinals?
St. Joseph... Pray for us!
St. Joseph's Feast Day is one of my favorites. Maybe because two years ago we got to spend it in Italy. It's a National Holiday over there. Everything was closed for the day and they celebrated it big. Maybe it's because St. Joseph is a sweet saint and is such a wonderful model of humility. It could be because we chose St Joseph as the patron saint of the Koinonia retreat we led in college. Maybe because it's a reprieve from the Lenten fasting :-). Really St. Joseph is just such an awesome model of holiness and willingness to do God's will.
So what did we do to celebrate today?
We ate brownies with lunch.
We had a dance part in the family room (I'm not really sure what that had to do with St. Joseph, but it was fun!)
Okay, so not all that exciting, the babies just don't get it yet.
But...
This evening we got to attend Mass with Cardinal George (from Chicago), Bishop Jenky (our bishop) and all of the bishops in Illinois. It. Was. Sweet. They have their principals and presidnts conference for all of the Catholic school principals in Illinois this week in our town. So they had a special Mass. And because it was a solemnity, it was awesome. It's nice to sing the Gloria after weeks of not singing it!
Anna was blessed by our Bishop at Communion. And then after Mass, we were hanging out in the back and Cardinal George walked by us (I didn't realize that's who it was right away, I was busy chasing Anna). Jeremy started up a conversation with him like they were old friends. And I looked like a ding dong. But when we told him Anna's name, he said she had two very solid names. And he gave her a blessing. So she's extra blessed tonight :-).
So all in all, it was a fantastic Feast day. How often to you get to go to a Mass with 10+ Bishops and multiple Cardinals?
St. Joseph... Pray for us!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Cousins
I mentioned it in my Quick Takes yesterday, but Anna is going to be a cousin! Congratulations to my sister and brother-in-law! Our family is growing again!
When we mentioned Anna being a cousin to our caseworker, she asked us how that makes us feel. (She is a counselor by nature :-). It's a good question, knowing our struggles, and I know my sister will read this and understand why that's a legitimate question :-).
So how do I feel?
I can honestly say that I am THRILLED for them. My first thought when they told us was relief. I am so glad that my sister, someone who I love very, very much, doesn't have to go through the heartache that I went through when trying to grow our family. I am so glad that she doesn't have to feel that hurt and walk that painful journey. I never want to see someone go through that.
And at the same time, I'm thankful I had to walk that path because God has Anna in His plans all along. And I can't imagine our lives any differently. However, infertility is still a part of the journey we are walking. It is still something that we deal with on a regular basis. Does it consume our lives anymore? No. But it will always be there. It will always make pregnancy announcements sting just a little bit, no matter where they come from.
It doesn't sting because it's my sister, or my friend, or my dad's uncle's brother's counsin's sister's friend. It stings because it's an announcement I will never get to make and wanted so badly for so long.
I'm not jealous. I'm not envious. I don't want their lives, I want my life, the life that has led me to Adoption and the blessing that it is for our family. But at one point, I was jealous, and I was envious. At one point, I wanted to be in those shoes. And I can feel that hurt. Maybe I'm not explaining it well, maybe I don't even understand it well. I can feel the hurt of my former self. And the sting of that pain. So when I say it stings, I don't mean I hurt now. But I do mean I hurt at one point. And I can't help it. However, I can help my joy.
I said what my first thought was when my sister told us, but my second thought was joy. And for that, I am grateful. My infertile self has come a long way and I'm so glad my first two thoughts were relief and joy. My sister is a mom and her husband is a dad! How beautiful! I'm now an aunt, Jeremy's an uncle, and Anna has a cousin, and a girl at that! Praise be to God!
So how do I feel? I feel thankful. Thankful that God has blessed us in so many ways and continues to do so each and every day! Congratulations Sara and Kel, we can't wait to meet her in just a few months!
When we mentioned Anna being a cousin to our caseworker, she asked us how that makes us feel. (She is a counselor by nature :-). It's a good question, knowing our struggles, and I know my sister will read this and understand why that's a legitimate question :-).
So how do I feel?
I can honestly say that I am THRILLED for them. My first thought when they told us was relief. I am so glad that my sister, someone who I love very, very much, doesn't have to go through the heartache that I went through when trying to grow our family. I am so glad that she doesn't have to feel that hurt and walk that painful journey. I never want to see someone go through that.
And at the same time, I'm thankful I had to walk that path because God has Anna in His plans all along. And I can't imagine our lives any differently. However, infertility is still a part of the journey we are walking. It is still something that we deal with on a regular basis. Does it consume our lives anymore? No. But it will always be there. It will always make pregnancy announcements sting just a little bit, no matter where they come from.
It doesn't sting because it's my sister, or my friend, or my dad's uncle's brother's counsin's sister's friend. It stings because it's an announcement I will never get to make and wanted so badly for so long.
I'm not jealous. I'm not envious. I don't want their lives, I want my life, the life that has led me to Adoption and the blessing that it is for our family. But at one point, I was jealous, and I was envious. At one point, I wanted to be in those shoes. And I can feel that hurt. Maybe I'm not explaining it well, maybe I don't even understand it well. I can feel the hurt of my former self. And the sting of that pain. So when I say it stings, I don't mean I hurt now. But I do mean I hurt at one point. And I can't help it. However, I can help my joy.
I said what my first thought was when my sister told us, but my second thought was joy. And for that, I am grateful. My infertile self has come a long way and I'm so glad my first two thoughts were relief and joy. My sister is a mom and her husband is a dad! How beautiful! I'm now an aunt, Jeremy's an uncle, and Anna has a cousin, and a girl at that! Praise be to God!
So how do I feel? I feel thankful. Thankful that God has blessed us in so many ways and continues to do so each and every day! Congratulations Sara and Kel, we can't wait to meet her in just a few months!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Friday Quick Takes (16)
Because of this wonderful weather and the fact that the kids and I have spent the majority of our days at the park or in the yard, our sweet Anna has taken 2 hour naps most days. That's unheard of!
And the allergies I mentioned happen to be mine at the moment. Usually they don't hit me like this in March, but the unusually warm weather has made them flare up big time. I have a very intense double ear infection as a result and my voice is pretty much gone. But the good thing is, Anna and Luke behave like angels when we're at the park or outside in general, so that has been wonderful. Other than my ears hurting like crazy, I've enjoyed getting out of the house!
Anna has discovered the joys of sidewalk chalk. It keeps her entertained for a very long time. And it's fun to watch her excitement as she actually draws lines on the ground.
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We celebrated Anna's Gotha Day last Saturday with a fun filled day. We took her to the Children's Discovery Museum where we played for a few hours. Then we went for a walk around Uptown and ISU's campus. We walked through the new Rec Center, what a beautiful place! I wish they would've had that when we went there! Anna took a nice nap in the Beco while we walked and talked. Then we went to a Greek Restaurant for lunch and then across the street to the frozen yogurt shop. Anna LOVED the frozen yogurt and had a ton of fruit while eating it, bonus! Then we went on a picnic that evening. It was a fun day to celebrate the gift of our daughter. She had a blast and we have the pictures to prove it!
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| We can't keep her away from glass. She must lick ever glass she finds... |
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| Windows especially. They're her favorite |
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| This girl LOVES to be on stage! |
We only have two weddings to attend this year. One is coming up in May, one of my best friends growing up, and we can't wait! In the last 5 years, we've been to close to 30 weddings.
I don't know if I've mentioned it here yet, but Anna is going to have a cousin! My sister and her husband found out they're having a baby girl, so Anna will have a cousin just a year and a half younger than her who live sjus a few blocks from us!
For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
Saturday, March 10, 2012
March 10
March 10 is a special day around here. A year ago today, we had no idea that in just a few hours we would become parents to the most beautiful baby girl. We had no idea that a year from then we would have a walking, talking, pig-tail wearing toddler who loves to explore and is curious about everything.
So to celebrate, we decided to spend the day as a family, celebrating our little family of three. So we're going to the Children's Discovery Museum, eating at the new yogurt place in town, and taking a nice walk outside in this beautiful weather.
It has been a wonderful year. It's flying by way too fast. But at times, it seems like she's been a part of our family forever. I often look back and wonder what I did to pass the time before Anna. What did we do for entertainment? She's quickly become our entertainment and our way to pass the time. Now the time just passes way too fast.
You can read more about last year's March 10 here and here and here. I enjoyed going back and reading the excitement and sheer joy in my posts a year ago.
As a friend of mine put it, Happy Anna-versary! We're so glad you're a part of our family, sweet Anna!
It has been a wonderful year. It's flying by way too fast. But at times, it seems like she's been a part of our family forever. I often look back and wonder what I did to pass the time before Anna. What did we do for entertainment? She's quickly become our entertainment and our way to pass the time. Now the time just passes way too fast.
As a friend of mine put it, Happy Anna-versary! We're so glad you're a part of our family, sweet Anna!
Monday, March 5, 2012
The Birthday
Here's the big frst birthday recap. It started on Tuesday with her actual birthday.
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| Opening her gift that her Godparents sent. They sent a children's Bible. She loves it! |
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| Giving Mama a hug first thing in the morning. |
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| Chowing on the chocolate chip pancakes daddy made for breakfast. She was too busy shoveling them in to pose for a picture. These are most definitely her favorite! |
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| She had fun lifting her tutu and spinning in a circle all day. |
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| We went with lots of friends to McD's for lunch. Anna enjoyed playing with all of the kiddos. |
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| And for dinner we went to a local authentic Italian restaurant that we all love. They have straight from Italy gelato and Anna was a big fan. :-) |
Then we continued celebrating with her giraffe themed first birthday party on Saturday.
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| Here's the cake I made for her. It turned out like I wanted it to :-) |
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| And the cupcakes with the chocolate giraffe on top. |
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| Throw in some pink punch and we had a party! |
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| Daddy's contribution. He insisted on decorating her high chair! |
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| Ok guys, I'm ready or my party! |
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| Mama, Anna and her cake. |
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| Party time! Playing with friends. |
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| Anna and Gee-Gee ready for some cake. |
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| And it was anticlimactic. She doesn't like to get her hands dirty, so we ended up feeding her some with a fork. And then she played with the fork. Can't blame her for wanting to stay clean :-) |
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| Hanging out with her grandmas |
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| Opening gifts. |
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| Anna said "forget the gifts, this tissue paper is great!" |
All in all it was a fantastic birthday celebration for our beautiful girl. She had so much fn and we are so blessed to be surrounded by so many family and friends who love her so very much.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Friday Quick Takes (15)
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| Anna (12m), Luke (15m) and Jake (16m) |
My cousins and her family also gave Anna a doll stroller for her birthday. She LOVES it. She's pushed her baby around all day since. She's become very protective over the whole stroller (she's always protective of the doll).
As I mentioned, I have been working on making and decorating Anna's cake. Her party is tomorrow and I'm really excited. I'll post pictures after tomorrow. I waited a long time to be able to make a 1st birthday cake for my baby :-)
I'm writing this post instead of cleaning for that same party :-)
We had Anna's 12 month check up yesterday. Her doctor was once again impressed with how much she does and says. We were excited that she finally moved out of the 90th percentile and down to the 75th for her weight until the doctor realized their mistake... They compared her on the 15 mo. chart. So she's even big for a 15 month old :-). At least she's proportionate, her height and head size are all right up there with her weight! She's a perfectly healthy one year old!
I really love naptime. I like the quiet after the chaos. I lke the happy attitudes that I get when it's over. And I like the break and the chance to do something relaxing for me :-). And I'm super lucky that I was able to get all three toddlers asleep at the same time today! It only took me 30 minutes, which sounds long, but when you're talking three toddlers, that's no time at all. I'm also very lucky we have multiple pack n plays :-)
My quick takes are always Anna related. I realize that, but she is what makes our weeks interesting. We're pretty boring people otherwise :-)
For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!
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