Birthmoms & Bird Poop!

Its only been two weeks since I last wrote...but soooo much has happened. Nothing big....just quirky little events that have made my life interesting. I accidentally caught the neighbors outdoor cat in the top of my garage door. Yes....I really did say that. I didnt see it...drove to work...then Mike called me after the neighbor told him that he saw two cat legs sticking out of the top of our garage door. I cant even explain...ask me the story sometime you see me. All I can say is one in a million! To make my life even more interesting..I was walking into the gym when a bird flew by and pooped on my head. I never made it to the gym that day. :-( But they say that is good luck. Hmmm??

My good luck is that we heard from another expectant mother. She is young...has a long story...and is very unsure what she wants with her pregnancy. Nothing has changed with L but you never do know. I am going with the flow right now and trying to live day by day without thinking too much about it. I am actually able to do this right now.

Mike turned the big 30 on the 14th. He celebrated hard during the day at Pittsburghs St. Pattys Day Parade. He then felt terrible during his Casino Party that I threw for him. But...we had lots of fun.....and he was happy that everyone was able to make it in for the party. He has since forgotten he is 30 and is enjoying playing his playstation NHL game everynight. He decided to have a mini mid life crisis and bought 22 inch rims for the SUV. At the same time.....he had a moment of dementia and forgot to tell me about this purchase. Hmmm??

L Update: She says she is starting to show now. She is still unfortunately struggling with morning & night sickness. I will get to go with her the beginning of the month to an ultrasound appointment. She is about 11 weeks along. Ugh...only 11 weeks...time has now stopped moving.

Our Anniversary

Some of you may be wondering why I am writing about my anniversary when it is in October. Well....L ( this is how I will refer to her from now on ) went to the doctor this week...her due date is Oct 15, our anniversary!! We couldn't believe it! She was also surprised as she thought it would be a little earlier. I am secretly hoping she delivers a little earlier...so I dont always have to have a birthday party on our anniversary.

We also got to meet L this week. (3/6/09) We met at the agency with the social workers present. We shared photo albums since we both like to scrapbook. She shared pictures of her daughter and she is absolutely adorable. We were all a little nervous but that was to be expected. Since we had spoken so much before the meeting we were able to share information with the social workers but nothing new between us. It was a little funny...since usually the social workers will be telling us things....and instead we were telling them things. Leave it to me to find myself in a "unique" situation.

Now what??

From here we are officially "matched" and out of the books. We are now committed to L and her to us. We are able to go to the sonogram appointments...her next one is on April 3rd. We are trying not to get overly excited...but that is nearly impossible. I am now making a list of things to keep me busy during the next 7 months....something to keep me distracted. Our social worker feels there a lot of promising things...and a few red flags. But overall a good possibility. Time will tell. As always we are intellectually telling ourselves that this may not work out...but our hearts are praying that it does.

Really?

Things continue to progress in the adoption situation. The birthfather signed the consent papers for the adoption on 2/25/09. If things do work out with the adoption plan I do hope that someday we all ( all 3 of us) will be able to meet him. If love was enough in this world....things would all be different. I know he is struggling with this decision....but he seems to know love isnt enough in todays world. I wish him peace with this decision.

8 weeks

I thought long and hard about whether I should write this post. But as you can see...I gave in and decided to tell the news....we have been talking to an expectant mother for a few weeks now!! I know....we said we wouldn't tell....we said we could keep a secret...we said we didn't want to get any one's hopes up. Well...we never thought we would have the opportunity for what we are now in the amidst of. We were contacted by an expectant mother by email, after she had searched the Internet at family profiles and kept going back to our profile. She has since started working with the agency and doing all the paperwork they require. She has just recently gone to the doctor and is estimated to be only 8 weeks pregnant!! For all of you who are unfamiliar with the adoption process...it is NOT typical to be talking to an expectant mother whom is only 8 weeks pregnant. Usually you are matched closer to the end of the pregnancy or right after the birth. This mother wants us to be involved during the term of the pregnancy and at the birth. The whole triad (agency, us, birth parents) are working through this step to come to a cooperative agreement. This agreement is a good faith agreement which can be broken since it has no legal value. The reason I decided to share this news was two fold. One: I cant keep this secret for 7 months! Two: If this all works out I wanted all of you to be part of this miracle...because that's what this will be! What I have learned this last few weeks involves the following: I have learned what it how it feels to get that (+) pregnancy test ; I now wonder how first time expectant mothers get anything done....because baby is always on your mind; I have realized how blessed I am in my life.

I'm sure some of you are thinking... "how wonderful...BUT...what if she changes her mind?" My response: ok..she changes her mind. Yes, I will be sad and disappointed. But I know there is another plan for me and another plan for the child. This birth mother is offering Mike and I an experience we never thought we would have...a chance to be at a sonogram...a chance to be at a birth...a chance to hear about how the pregnancy is going. Even if she decides at the last minute to parent the child...we will have experienced things we never thought we would be able to...and for that we are thankful. So as this journey progress's, please keep an open mind...this may or may not be our child....disappointment may come in many ways...BUT until that happens Mike and I will be getting ready to be parents by the fall!

Nursey Wall Art

I have been busy being crafty and "nesting" as some call it. Mike and I have decided to go with a Jungle/Safari theme so I decided to make some art for the nursery. They match the colors of our bedding ( yes I have bedding...its a long story I will tell on another day). I think it will look super cute on the wall next to the crib. Check out the pics below!

What a Year Brings

It has been one year since my surgery. It is amazing all that has happened in one year. Last year at this time I was sitting in a hospital and we were all praying that things were going to be ok. Everything worked out better than anyone expected...including the doctors. I never thought in my wildest dreams we would be waiting for our child one year later. I am truly blessed for all that I have in my life....from the loved ones whom surround me, to good jobs and good health! I cant say it enough but I am so thankful for everyones support in my life. For all of those who have heard the story of the lights turning off....I have a new story. A lamp post turned on as I drove past it this week on my way to work. I wonder what that means??? Only time will tell.

The Musings of a Waiting Adoptive Mom!

So what does a waiting adoptive mom do you ask? I also wondered that question before we got to this stage. My first reaction is to go on with life.....which has been fairly easy. Do what I normally do...nothing more, nothing less. Than I began to ponder what a pregnant mom does when she is preparing for her child. When you compare those two scenarios I wondered why they are so different. Are I not waiting to bring home our first child? Should I not prepare like any other first time mom? Yes...it could take longer than the 9 month pregnancy my friends had....but it could also take less. I have bought things for the baby...but how many things can you buy when you have no idea on age, sex and season. With that said I decided on a little compromise. I like to make crafts in my spare time. Once we do get placed with a baby I'm sure that time will dissappear before my eyes. In the mean time I have decided to put my craft and creative skills to use and make baby crafts. Some of these things are very useful items and I'm sure I will be happy to have when the little one finally arrives. Some of the other crafts are not necessary but are filling any "nesting" need I may have at the time. That being said....Mike was away all weekend. So....I got on the internet and found some ideas. I decided to start with baby closet dividers since they seemed simple enough and could be completed in one day. They are a very non essential item but will make finding things easier...especially for darling dads whom have no idea which outfits the baby can fit into (I've heard stories....you know the ones.....I had to change the baby 5 times until something fit). These were easy to make and took half a day.....mostly waiting for the paint to dry. So on my craft list: towel bibs ( these may be an essential item for Mike....he doesnt do "messy") , cloth baby shoes, canvas wall art , Rag quilt and a baby scrapbook. So there you have it...the musings of a waiting adoptive mom. Let's see how much I actually get done before the baby arrives! I do have an advantage over pregnant moms......I feel GREAT all the TIME!!!

Baby Closet Dividers