Birthday Boy

Little Guy is one year old today!! How fun it is to have birthday parties. His will be tomorrow afternoon. Our boys are so excited for his birthday, he just fits into our family so perfectly. Timing is everything. Milestones: Standing, walking around furniture, walks with a push toy, says mama, dada, nananana(??), baba. He is a bottle, blanket, and paci stealer. He has a huge personality, very funny and happy baby. He is perfect. Happy Birthday our sweet baby boy!

5

I have 5 children. I find myself saying this ALL the time. With the babies, people say 'oh, you have your hands full!'. I have more than this, I have 5 children. 5 children!!! I love saying it. I have 5, yes 5. And I'm in one piece, imagine that. So why did I tell a lady at my son's gym class that baby girl had 5 brothers??? Yes I said that! The other mom was cooing all over baby girl, and we were talking, and I said, 'she has 5 brothers'. I missed counted! The other mom asked their ages, I told her 15, 12, 9, and 11 months....4 not 5. She didn't say anything just looked at me weird. I still didn't catch my messup. Maybe we need 6 then. Haahaaahaaa! hmmm.....Ethiopia??

The Grocery Store

We call the grocery store the 'groc'. Don't know why, just do. So I hate the groc. I will go to Target and wipe them clean of 'snacks' to avoid the groc. With 2 babies, 2 buggies, it's a nightmare...

The fun part

So baby girl's case in probably going to drag out for at least a year, and then some. Unless mom vanishes, and we don't see that happening. It's such a sad situation. I think she loves her children, she just can't parent them. She always shows up for visits, and says she is going to take the steps needed to get them back. But all she does is show up for visits, nothing else. Nothing else that is required of her. What does this mean? Why does she do this?

13 Years

Today is our anniversary: married 13 years. Yes we have a 15 year old, who we parented while we both lived at home for 2 years before we got married---oh the scandal! Yes, we were the embarrassment of our families. Not only did we get pregnant, but we didn't even 'fix' it by getting married!!! Why? because as young as we were, we knew we wanted to wait to get married. I'm glad we did. To those who have a pregnant teenager, support and help with the baby is the best thing you can do for her and him.

Reflection

As I grab my laptop for a quick post while my babies are napping, I am overcome with joy. I am so busy that I don't have time to blog, or do anything else really. I am lucky to shower or even eat. My laundry has exploded, and I had to boot out my little doggie because I needed a break (don't worry, she is on vacation in Florida with my mom-being spoiled). I know the pain of waiting and wondering of when you will finally get a child. The unknowns, the range of ages, the circumstances, the abuse, the birth parents, the judge, the social workers, your own family. All these things run through your mind, you never tire of listening to other's stories of adoption. You look at baby stuff, toddler stuff, and wonder how old your child will be, boy or girl. It's a state of limbo. Then it happens, and it happens fast and without warning. Just like everyone told you it would.



Adoption was put in my heart October 2007. Not my husbands, just mine. I mostly kept it to myself but started researching everything adoption. December 2007 I realized it wasn't a 'phase', either I was crazy or God was telling me something. January 2008 foster care weighed heavily in my heart, by now I was telling my husband and we would discuss having another child. We researched IVF, vas reversals, and adoption--he was on board. Ethiopia was beginning to boom and I was drawn to it. I couldn't decide on an agency, they all had 'problems' that I couldn't jump over. Now I see that as part of the plan, if we had signed with an agency--we would not have done foster. Months past as we researched and finally we decided to foster and foster adopt. Every where we turned, the foster care system was the answer--even with all it's flaws. May 16 my niece was born, as we all celebrated I was sure I wanted more children. We decided in May to pursue foster licensing. June 2008 it all began---Licensed in January 2009--First placement Feb 2009, second placement 3 weeks later. Our little boy was born May 2008, the same month we decided to begin foster care. Even though I wished everything to go much faster, God knew the right timing. He knew what day both these babies would be delivered to us, and he spent all that time preparing me. It all started with a desire in my heart, that I believe God put there to begin with.

Hercules

Little Guy is called Hercules and Destroyer. Nicknamed by our boys. It's so funny. He is such a little mess! He is wanting to walk so bad, I know it's going to happen any day now. His birthday is this month. We are soooo excited about his birthday. Adoption is around the corner for him and us. Months away still, but we are on track. Still, I am hesistant to get to excited about it...just in case.

So Crazy, yet so happy...

Our life is crazy and busy. But not as busy as some people's. For example, my boys don't like playing team sports. They have played every sport imaginable and even stuck with hockey for several years. But they are older now and don't want to play--music to my ears!!! Don't get me wrong, I love my kids playing sports- but I need a break!!! So since last summer, they have all taken a hiatus of the sports thing. What are we doing now? I'm making them pick something to do!!! LOL! What did they pick? BMX racing. Not bad, practice is at will, races once a week. But the kicker??? The bikes are 200 and up!!! Lame! but oh well. We will see what kind of deal we can find. I'm super excited about this, I love watching the boys do fun stuff and compete. So after our sports break, we are about to be busy again. The craziness is what keeps us sane.

The Weekend is almost here...

I love weekends. So busy and lazy at the same time. Now that it's warmer, we are always outside. Sunshine makes us soooo happy. Our family is getting really attached to Little Guy, he is such a sweet and happy baby!! I am looking for a playgroup for him. There is one in our neighborhood, plus I wanted to put him in a mommy and me class. I love those.

Baby Girl is sick. She has a cough, but no fever and no trouble breathing as far as I can tell. But I'm not a doctor. So I panic, I think she's going to stop breathing. She is smiling, and seems content except for her terrible coughing fits that have her crying and you know it hurts her. It makes me so upset. She is eating fine. The doc says it's a cold and can last up to 2 weeks. It has been almost 1 week already. I'm leaning toward the ER, again (I took her last week). If just for peace of mind. I know the doc doesn't want her on antibiotics, it is better if she can build up antibodies. I agree, but she is so small. My other issue is, if I take her to the ER will she get sicker from there?? ER's creep me out with all the hacking and sick people. I don't want to bring home the flu!!! I hate it when our babies are sick...and I think she got it from me---which makes me feel so terrible :(