Huuuummmm....

I guess no one enjoyed the little video of G...:(

G's new trick...

I can't believe my baby is getting to old. He is going to be 1 in Feb...OMG, time flies! So this is the cutest new trick G has taught himself...

Oh Christmas tree..

I just got done wrapping all of the kid's presents. It's going to be fun for us for the first time in 8 years. It's costing a whole TON more but it'll be worth it. It's so weird how your emotions change so much after a baby. Whether you give birth to a child or you have adopted your child...you are different. Your emotional well being has been changed forever; for the better! I'm serious, I look forward to all of my IF friends to either have a baby or adopt a baby. There is nothing on earth as special or worth all the tears, fears and years. I know I can't speak for everyone but I can say, I love being a mother. It's hard work but the most amazing, fulfilling part of my life.

These are a couple gifts I can't wait for the kids to open ~

Trouble ~ does anyone remember this game? It was my grandmother's favorite. When we (my sister/brother) stayed the night with her, we always played. I'm good, can't wait to kick T's and K's butt!!!!!

The Bratz Laptop ~ It's a toy but there are a lot of learning games on there, I know T is going to love it. She loves school and learning so much....I believe it's going to be beneficial to her.

MP3 Player ~ For K, I almost bought her the Shuffle but A didn't think a 6 year old should have something that cost some much. So she got some off brand MP3 player. I know she will enjoy it, she loves music and can totally sing her little booty off. I should video tape her one day, she's a real entertainer I tell ya.

3-n-1 Tonka Truck ~ This is so cool, I can't wait to see G play with this. Here's a picture of it...

More Foster Care talk.....

It's getting late and I'm still doing laundry. I just finished more paperwork for the agency. Yeah, everything was suppose to be done but then SW called and said there is something "new" we had to fill out. It was 4 pages of questions...more questions. But this was all about our income and debt. What a PIA! A and I got that done tonight and will drop it in the mail tomorrow. That better be it! I'm exhausted....I want to be approved already. After all we have had our nieces since May and I know they are not going to take them. Hopefully our SW started typing up our homestudy and once she gets this last bit of info she will be able to send it off to the state. She said it could take a week to two weeks before we are approved.
Right now, the license will only allow us to care for our nieces. If we decide in the future that we would like to adopt through the state then we will have to get it amended. So that's that, for now.

On another note, I talked to the SW about volunteering. I would like to provide haircuts or styles to the children in the agencies care. There is probably something already established but I would like to contribute if I can. Sometimes, I feel like I should be doing more with my life.

Oh and thanks to Reggie (a new friend)...look at my new siggy!

Rough couple days

G has been really fussy the past couple days. He tugs at his right ear every now and then so I'm thinking ear infection.?.? I'm going to call the dr tomorrow. It's been so cold lately that I hate taking him out. Today it was in the teens, {{{{burr}}}}...I think the low tomorrow is suppose to be 6 degrees. It could also be the fact that he is getting 4 teeth at the same time but Oragel/Tylenol doesn't seem to help. I just love my baby bear so much and I hate that he only seems happy when he is stuck to my hip. Maybe tomorrow we will go to the mall so he can play in the play area.

Tonight I went to one of the local hospitals in a blizzard to get an MRI. I have a pituitary gland tumor and every 6 months I have to get it monitored. So in the next few days, I'll get the results of that...joy.

I love keeping this blog updated, I've said it before it's theraputic. But lately I've been thinking that maybe I should use some of my internet time to exercise. I've gained a few pounds lately. If I don't start now, I'm not sure I'll be able to control it later. Last winter I did 100-200 sit ups a night and by the time I went to FL my stomach didn't look too bad. I'm built like an olive on a tooth pick, skinny arms and legs with chubby midsection. I also did a lot of lunges, my butt was nice and tight...lol. I think is has shrunk, maybe now I'm shaped more like Tasmanian Devil...A always said if we have a baby he would be a line backer (pretty broad shoulders)....thanks, right? Men...argh! Oh, I wish I had the energy!

Some Christmas pics....

Signature?

Can someone please tell me how to add a more personal signature to my post?

OMG, the house is so quiet...

I'm in between clients and thought I'd jot a couple things down. It's really quiet here, not of the norm lately. A went to K and T's (for those who don't know they are our nieces who now live with us) Thinking Map Night at their school. Plus he has the baby, Go Boy....he is a brave one I tell ya.
Anyhow, we are starting to think more seriously about our next move....or next cycle,argh, it's hard to even say that here in bloggy world. Yeah, I can't believe I'm typing this but we are going to do a frozen embryo transfer next year. We have a lot going on, right? It's our fun way of keeping you all guessing.

We have 6 blastocyst in the cryopreservation at Dr. Young's office. I hate to think of them being disposed of and A does not want to donate them. So we are going to use them. I've done this quite a few times and I can't believe we are going to do it again. I wish I could say that I'm excited or that I feel positive about this but I can't. I've been let down by my uterus too many times. So please excuse the pessimistic attitude. There are plenty of things in life that I'm positive about but IVF is not one of them...at least IVF for me.

It pangs me to think that A is all excited about this and can't wait to get started. I just don't get it, does he really think it can happen? You would think after all we've been though he would have the same attitude as me. Is it because it's not his body....not his uterus rejecting all those little embryos...um?

Well, it's only December things won't pick up in this arena for a few months. But I just thought I'd put it out there to represent all my infertile sista's. We need to come together and support one another. If you are the same jacked up boat, give me a holler.

Photo contest?????

My dad is so cute. He sent a newspaper clipping home with A the other day. There is a Baby of the Year Contest. My dad thinks we should enter G. He is even going to pay the entry fee....so I've been looking through our more recent pictures of G. I found a couple but a lot of the time people say, "oh not that one"...or "keep looking." What do you think of these, I'm confused....

My little ham.

Isn't he one of the prettiest little boys you have ever seen? Someone asked me if I wrap his hair up like this often....um no, it's his shirt that got stuck on his head or should I say stuck on his hair...lol. He grabbed the shirt to yank it all the way off and somehow just laid like this, so cute that little boy!

Winter blast.

I hate winter (not really)! It sometimes feels like I'm trapped in the house. For the past two winters I have gotten PT jobs outside of the house. Well this year we have G so there is no need to get a PT job, I'm busy enough...but now I really need to stay warm and toasty. G is not fragile, he has not been overly sick but he does get this really nasty runny nose. And for all you that don't visit freezing temperture climates, sucking in that cold air can hurt. Could be b/c I have asthma but my lungs burn and I don't want to expose G to that pain so young. I was watching the news today and we are expected to get 10.5" of snow by Wednesday morning....greeeeaaaat! So I, well I mean WE are hibernating....yup, we didn't go anywhere today and I plan on staying home all day tomorrow too! I better go make sure we have clean sweat pants...lol.

BTW, the SWer didn't come over Friday b/c we were hit with a winter blast all weekend. She is from Oregon and is not use to driving in the snow. Whimp! Just kidding it was awful, I'm glad she did not come out. So the home visit is going to be this Friday then we are done and just wait for the states approval!

Foster care social worker...

She is finally back in the office and she called me today to set up our last home visit. But guess what she couldn't find her planner, so she will call tomorrow or Friday. I'm like ok already, let's get this over with. I did get to ask her what the next step is....she will then be able to write up the "report" on us and send it in to the state. She said after that it should only be approx. 2 weeks and then we will be licensed, finally I'm beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel. This has been a long road. We had to take Pride classes, which teach you how to be a good foster parent. We've had to learn CPR, I'm actually thankful for this b/c I learned how to give CPR to an infant if need be (fingers crossed that we will never have to use this). I'm just so glad it's coming to an end. I hope we get everything submitted before our medicals and drug screenings expire. Yeah, they used the ones we had to get for our adoption. I think we had them done in January so we are pushing it (they are good for a year).
Anyhooo....that's our update. Not to much to get excited about but we are getting there!! When we get licensed I'll be doing cart wheels for sure!

Laura this one is for you

A couple weeks ago I mentioned that A has been growing out his hair to look like G....hahahaha! A has never been an attention getter but he is sure loving when people tell him how much they look a like. :)
The other night G had on his Reebok outfit. I went to the mall Friday and found the cutest blue Reebok gymmies. I bought them a little big so hopefully he will get to wear them for a while. I love shopping for him, it's so fun. I had no idea how much fun it would be. I can only imagine all the trouble I would get in if/when we have a girl. A is not a shopper, I always buy his clothes too. Sometimes when I buy certain outfits for G he is like "OMG, he does not need that." But after he seen G in his Reebok outfit he said we need to get him a Nike outfit too. However I refuse to pay full price. I love TJ Maxx. I can find Polo outfits, Polo onesises, Calvin Klein jeans, his coat is Kenneth Cole....I love it. Anyhow, here a pic of my boys and a couple of his outfit......

He is so cool, right? One handing the bottle, feet crossed...lol.

9 month check up....

A few family members thought G is getting "big". I think he is a solid boy but definitely didn't think there was/is anything to worry about, he is a baby...babies are cubby...:) One person guessed G would be 22lbs, one guessed 21.5lbs and I guessed 20...drum roll....G is 19lbs 9ozs. He is in the 50th percentile for height and weight, he is very consistent and proportionate. He is 28 3/8". The funny thing is his head in the 35th percentile, that's a good thing b/c all his hair...lol. Everywhere I go people tell me how much they love his hair, I have to admit it is so cute. We ended up scheduling G's next drs appt, I can't believe next time we see Dr. Addy, G will be a year old. Time sure does fly these days!
After his appt, I met my gf's M and T at the mall. T's son was born 1/5, G was born 2/16 and M's daughter A was born 3/20, I can't believe they are all about a month apart. It was fun seeing them interact. I forgot to get a pic of them all together, I'll make sure we get one next time. They are going to grow up to be such good friends! And by the way we are going to be busy going to bday parties early next year too. I also have a friend whose son was born 2/10....oh boy, I'm going to be broke!

Foster Parents????

So most of you know that A and I have been caring for our two nieces since May of this year. Well, we recently found out that we NOW have to become licensed foster parents to continue caring for them. Fortunately Bethany Christian Services was able to use a lot of our paperwork from our adoption. However there are still some documents that we are currently working on, for instance this afternoon I'll be making copies of our drivers licenses, our proof of insurance and Mason's rabies vaccination certificate. These are the last of the docs we need to submit (trust me the file is thick), then I don't know what happens. I would call our sw at Bethany but she is on leave for two weeks.
I think this is an interesting turn of events b/c Andre and I had decided not to pursue licensing. But now that it is mandatory, I'm thinking that it will be for the better. Lately we've been thinking about #2. I know some of you might think that it is soon seeing how Greyson is only 9 months old but we had such a late start...we need to catch up...lol. We figure we are not getting any younger so might as well get the ball rolling. We also realize that if we adopted through foster care we will actually be able to afford it. I had been wondering where in the heck we were going to come up with money for a 2nd adoption. But this seems like it could be the answer. So that's the latest....nothing too exciting just more baby talk~ love and hugs to all those who follow my blog, I truly appreciate your comments!

I just had to post this...

I took this last Friday. G knows how to keep track of his paci, my little multi-tasker.

G can't get enough of Mason....

Everyday I have to chase G away from Mason's house or what is otherwise known to Mason as jail....lol. I've even caught G inside the crate. I told Andre I should shut him in there, then he would never go in it again. I figure this b/c lately he does not like anything he can't escape from ie..pack-n-play, the swing or his jumper. But A doesn't agree, he said someone will just so happen to walk by our house and see the baby in the dog crate...hahaha. Really though I don't know why he is so fascinated with it. Here are a few pics of him messing with Mason.

Crazy life this is....

Ok, I'm losing it...lol. Really though it's tough with three kids in our home now. Seems like I never have time for anything, let alone blogging. But I'm going to try and keep it updated. After all it's kind of theraputic to put your thoughts down on paper, I mean down on blog.
G is becoming such a big boy and his personality is developing more and more each day. Lately he is my shadow, I can't go anywhere in the house without hearing the little slapping sound his hands make on our wood and tile floors.
A and I went shopping this past weekend and found a beautiful snowsuit for G at Old Navy. I'll definitely post a pic of him in it. It snowed yesterday and the snow actually stuck a bit but it's not that cold yet. Over the summer my mom and I were at a garage sale and we found a baby sled. It's so cute, I can't wait to get out in the snow and pull him around...should be fun!
I also realize that I love dressing G like his daddy. No baby clothes for my baby! :) A just adores G, in fact if you notice A grew his hair out so it kind of looks like G's, hahaha!
I know I'm late in posting Halloween pics but better late than never...

Poem read from Judge Feeney....

I did not plant you, true.
But when the season is done,
When the alternative prayers for sun
and for rain are counted,
When the pain of weeding
And the pride of watching are through,
Then I will hold you high,
A shining sheaf above
the thousand seeds grown wild.
Not my planting,
But, by Heaven,
My harvest -
My child.

"Gotcha Day...."

So October 15th is our official "Gotcha Day", in the adoption world we celebrate the day the adoption is final and call it "Gotcha Day". I can't believe our adoption journey is over....for now (we may go down this road someday in the future). I was a little nervous b/c like everything else, I thought things might go rough. But to my surprise it was so fast and smooth. Our appt time was 3:30pm and we were done by 4pm.
Judge Kathleen Feeny was very warm and appreciative. She commends people who open their hearts and their minds to adoption. She said that we are very blessed to have G in our lives and he is blessed to have us as parents. She also read a poem, which made me tear up. I'll post it later, right now I want to post some pictures of the day. I couldn't stop smiling, my cheeks hurt for two days...lol.
We didn't invite a lot of people b/c we wanted to keep it intimate. The one person missing was my dad and of course my little brother T. It was hard being so happy, knowing that T should have been there to celebrate with us, he loved and adored G.

So here are the pics...

A few more....

I had to post this...

G was playing Uno for the first time with the girls. It looks like he really knows what he is doing....lol.

Play date with T (gf) and C (her son).

These pictures were taken over a week ago but b/c my computer has a virus I'm just now posting them. My friend T gave birth to her first child, a son she named C. He is about a month and half older than G. T and I use to hang out quite a bit but now that we are mothers it's hard to get together. We hadn't seen each other in over a month. It's always nice to see T and C. G was excited to hang out with another little boy. It seems like he is always around girls...lol.

Computer virus

My computer has a virus and I don't feel like downloading my camera software to the computer I'm on now, which is A's. We've been looking for anti-virus software, really don't feel like spending the money. So if you happen to have some software we can borrow let me know. Other than that no pics for now.....hopefully soon!!!!!

Look at all his hair...

My babys' hair is so long. I have to admit I ended up snipping the ends off Friday. It's still really cute but doesn't need half as much primping or "product"...lol. These are pictures of his hair wet right before I cut it. I thought I'd better get more recent pics of the length. I have to ask all the moms out there....will I ever stop kissing him every two minutes?? At this rate he is going to be a mama's boy for sure!
Oh, in case you are wondering G does not have bruises on his back, they are called mongolian spots. Which are common in Hispanic and African American babies. Our peditrician said they should diminish within 4 years.

CRAWLING!!! FINALLY!

As most of you know I do not work full time, I'm very fortunate to be able to witness most of my son's milestones. Well, today of all days I had to work and guess what??? G started crawling, yup....CRAWLING! I got done around 8:30pm, when I picked him up from Grandma's house they all had to show me. So they set G down and put a jar of baby food in front of him...yeah, I know he likes his food. Anyhow, he crawled to the jar...it was so unbelievably cute! So of course I told T to move the jar further away from him and sure enough he crawled again. He is still unsure of his movements but he definitely knows he is moving. After a couple tries he started crying :(. He was tired, that's why I have no picture or videos to post tonight...OMG, I can't wait until tomorrow! I have to go shopping....I have to get baby gates, the things you put into outlets and cupboard locks....I don't need him getting into my pots and pans...lol. This is a new adventure...I'm going to be chasing my son for the next 18 years.....OMG! What a reality check...lol.

This is just beautiful!

A friend posted this on her blog and it's beautiful so I thought I would share it with all my friends/family. This is exactly how I feel, I just would have never been able to verbalize my feelings and thoughts about adoption in such a powerful and touching way.

An excerpt from A Guide to Adoption by Douglas R. Donnelly, 1987, Focus on the Family Publications

"Take 2 separate tragedies: an unplanned pregnancy and a couple grieving over an infertility problem and combining them in such a way as to solve both problems simultaneously is exciting beyond words. Through grace, the birthmother makes a painful, but heroic decision and is granted the strength to see that decision through. And also through grace, the adopting parents accept a child into their home and bestow on that child their name, their material possessions, and the fullest measure of their love and affection. A special bond exists between birthmothers and adopting parents. They have together, through a teamwork of the most magnificent kind, created a human being…in a way which neither could have done without the other. There is no greater human example of grace."

We have a COURT DATE!!!!

Well I can't sleep...no surprise. We finally have a court date to finalize, I found out last week but there has been so much going on in my life that I compleltely forgot. The date is October 15th at 3:30pm. I'm so excited. This is the last step in this whole adoption process. I believe G's birth certificate will be ordered at that time, I'll definitely take a picture of it and post it as soon as I get it.
Well, I better get to bed. I have a busy weekend starting tomorrow! Nite all~

First time reupholstering anything....

I bought this chair at a garage sale about two months ago for $8. It turned out exactly how I envisioned it. It was hard work but worth it. I feel really good sitting in it, I guess I'm proud that I didn't give up on it. A lot of people were like, OMG - D, we need to see that when you are done...lol. They couldn't see the potential. Tell me what you think! BTW, I couldn't have done it without my honey bear...he provided all the muscle!

Below is one arm sanded and one after I stained it.

Why does she put everything on his head???

T is too funny. She loves putting glasses on G or hats on him, now she put his pants on his head. Check out these pictures.....
BTW, G 7 months already and still not crawling. I think it's our fault though, b/c if I'm not holding him, A is and if he is not holding him, T is. I'm sure it doesn't help that when he goes to Grandma's she doesn't put him down either.
I do have to give him props, he is really trying to stand. I can even stand him next to the couch or coffee table and he tries to walk along them. I have to be careful b/c he is still so wobbly. I have heard that some babies skip crawling maybe G will walk earlier....I can't wait. Better start baby proofing.

G's 6 month pics....

We ended up going to our photographers "beach day" a few weeks ago. I may have told some of you the story but I'll tell it again. :) Our appt. was at 6:40pm, we had to travel 40 minutes or so to Kruse Beach in Muskegon, MI. G fell asleep on the way there but I thought good, he should be revived but the time we get there...boy, was I wrong. G was so grumpy. He cried anytime I put him down and at one point he fell face first into the sand. I had to dig sand out of his nose and mouth. Thank goodness it did not get in his eyes. Needless to say I was tense and stress out!
I also realize that no matter how much I get G to smile for the camera, when he sees the flash he gets this blank look on his face....too fun! He has such a beautiful smile, whenever I get a picture of it, I'm thrilled!