Langton Revue

Happy 4th Birthday, Alex!

2012-02-06T23:27:00.001-05:00

We celebrated Alex’s 4th birthday, twice lately! Saturday, family came over to celebrate and today we celebrated his actual day of birth with pizza and cupcakes!

Pictures will come…

Love my little man so much!

Still here…

2012-02-03T03:55:00.001-05:00

I am so far behind on this blog! It is pathetic really. I guess a few other things have taken priority over updating my blog. Unfortunately, not keeping this up is making me feel guilty because I intended this blog to be a journal of sorts, for my children’s experiences as they grow up.

Let the updating begin… soon!

Family Traveling This Month! Please HELP!

2012-02-01T14:39:00.001-05:00

Please, this family is traveling this month and is short about $4,000. If you can spare just a little, please go to their blog and donate. Thank you!
Journey to Anna

Alex Quote 1/19/12

2012-01-20T00:27:00.001-05:00

“Mom, my tummy is full so my head is getting’ bigger.”

“Really?”

“Uh-huh. My head’s getting’ big, just like yours.”

Gee… thanks! :)

Gavin Shenanigans

2012-01-17T21:26:00.001-05:00

Gavin comes out of the bathroom, "I pee'd everywhere! Can I have a treat now?" He walks into the living room laughing, wearing only his nightshirt. He then takes off his nightshirt and begins running around the living room. I asked him, "Where all did you pee?" Gavin replied, "On the floor, on the toilet and on my..." He holds up his hands and rubs his fingers together. Then runs over to the Christmas tree (no, we have not had time to take it down) and attempts to completely hide under it, stark-naked!

SAHM's Monetary Worth

2012-01-17T20:02:00.001-05:00

Yahoo!

I slack off a lot so my earnings wouldn't be quite this much. :)

Hospital Update

2012-01-12T15:28:00.001-05:00

Reed and Alex arrived back home around 4am. Alex had ANOTHER x-ray of his chest (more on that later) and was diagnosed with pneumonia. Wonderful. The doctor prescribed a rotation of Tylenol and Motrin, every 4 hours as needed to keep his fever down. And yes, the 104.4 was accurate.

Regarding the x-ray situation. We’re not sure how much radiation Alex has been exposed to. Reed will be discussing it today with the boys’ pediatrician, as both boys have appointments.

-------------------

Ella is now coughing and has a runny nose. Tis the season of sickness!!

Hospital

2012-01-12T02:39:00.001-05:00

It is now 1:50am. I'm tired. Why? For the last few weeks I've been taking a late (10pm) online class. At night I've been working on my homework AND applying lessons to the real world. My awake time has increased from approximately 18 hours to 20 hours. Yes, lately I've been averaging around 4 hours of sleep. Yuck! I am tired... wait, I already said that. But I am and I think it is important to understand that I am reeeeeally tired! Yet, I was still polite.

Today/yesterday, Ella had an ultrasound at the hospital, here in town. We arrived about 5 minutes before the appointment. As in, walked into registration. The longest I've ever waited in the hospital's registration is 10 minutes. A full 30 minutes later, I'm finally handing Ella's registration paperwork to the nurse in radiography. She looks at the paperwork, pulls up Ella's appointment information and then makes a phone call. After the call she says, "Ma'am, umm, sorry, but the technicians are asking you to reschedule."

*Excuse me?*

"Why?", I replied.

"Ma'am, your appointment was at 1:30. It is now 2:00."

I smile and tilt my head, "I am aware of that. I apologized to you when I handed you the paperwork. Also, I was at registration for at least a half hour waiting just to be registered..."

She puts her hands up and interrupts me, "Your appointment was 1:30. The technicians want you to reschedule." She shrugs her shoulders.

During this entire exchange I was bouncing Ella on my hip because she was fussy; very hungry.

I smile again, "Again, very sorry. You know, usually, I drive about 50 minutes to the children's hospital at University of Michigan. I don't have a problem doing that in the future, and I will. But today, I am here because Ella's pediatrician needs this test done STAT! He told me that this issue should've been discovered and diagnosed before she was discharged from the hospital she was born at. That didn't happen. So now I'm here, thankful that she isn't 4 months old because if she was, I wouldn't be here for an ultrasound, but instead a full body MRI..."

She interrupts again, "Fine. Let me call."

She calls the technicians again. She sarcastically argues my case and then hangs up the phone. "You'll be waiting a long time. You can have a seat."

I sit. I call Reed on the verge of tears. So irritated...

"Ellasyn!", a technician calls out. I'm shocked.

As this tech walks us back I ask her what happened. She goes on this rant about how she is an E.R. tech and overheard what was going on. She said that she offered to take me because she was upset by the way the clerk was treating me. I thanked her. She told me that registration has been running behind lately because there are not enough registrars working and the radiology clerk lady knew that. I was more fumed now.

The ultrasound complete, the. E.R. tech walked out with me and turns to all the radiology clerks and says, "Next time, call my department before you start mistreating our patients. If we're available, our services are here to be used."

Results in 2 days.

Right now, I'm waiting to hear about Alex. Reed took him to the E.R. and I hope they've brought Alex's fever down... 104.4 was the last reading!

3 Month Photos

2012-01-10T16:36:00.001-05:00

My baby girl is 3.5 months old. A couple weeks ago she noticed her hands and has often been entertained by them. Today, she grabbed a toy and held it to examine it! It feels like she just came home a couple weeks ago… they grow too fast!

3 month photos…

Almost a knockout!

2012-01-09T20:37:00.001-05:00

Alex and his long arm accidentally pops me in the nose. While I was whining about my nose, Gavin decides to punch me in the jaw! My face has never felt better. :)

Gavin Quote 7/8/11

2012-01-08T18:52:00.001-05:00

Gavin completed a favor for me. I said, "Thank you!"
Gavin replied, "You're welcome, sir!"
I corrected him, "Thank you, ma'am! I'm not a sir."
Gavin responds with, "Thank you, ham!"
*Laughing feels great!*

3 Year Olds...

2012-01-06T17:28:00.001-05:00

... should not be asking, "Where's my stylus?" But, my 3-year old Gavin just asked this very question.

My spoiled children with their Nintendo DS's... yes, each of the boys have one... courtesy of my Mom... for Christmas... and Gavin is good at it!

On a more intellectual front, Gavin has finally learned his colors. I guess things are balanced. Somehow.

Home

2012-01-06T03:28:00.001-05:00

Right now my bedroom smells like dirty diaper. Nice home fragrance. Gives it just the right... never mind. Perhaps I should empty the bedroom trash.

I don't how to say this except to come out and say it. No, it doesn't have to do with diapers but it is crappy!

My mother left my stepdad. There, now I can talk about it and vent. She moved to my aunt's (her sister) house on a lake. My youngest sister left with her. My youngest brother (these siblings are twins) is remaining with my stepdad. Ackward.

Divorce, separation... whatever you want to call it. It hurts just as much at 28 years old as it did the first time, when I was 6 years old. Except, technically, I didn't realize it hurt until I was about 10 years old.

I didn't want to experience this again. Who would? But here I am, attempting to explain to my children where Papa is when they go see Nana or vice versa.

Here I am, driving past the road I lived on for most of my childhood in order to visit my mom at the "lake house". I visited my stepdad the day after Christmas. When I was there I noticed that my childhood home was stripped of things that had always been there. The wall above the t.v. was the location of mine and my siblings' senior photos. This wall is now bare except for the hardware that mounted the pictures to the wall. At the same time, it was odd to see the things that remained on the walls. Decorative pieces that my mom chose to hang in their specific locations remain. I couldn't stop myself from looking over the walls to see what my mom valued enough to take with her. I felt like I was snooping.

The thing about going "home" is the comfort you feel from the people that live there, the memories, and even the things that have their specific spot. In the 5 years I've been married, "home" to me still felt like the house I grew up in. I used to wonder when the house I lived in would feel like "home". I waited. It never happened. And now since I just recently moved into this current house and things are still new, packed away, and few memories have been created, I feel like I don't have a home. The closest place is our condo and some stranger named Chad, is living there with his cat. I want to go there with my king-size bed and sleep for a few nights because that would feel close to being home.

When I slip into these pitty-parties, perspective is usually how I come back to reality. Perspective reminds me how blessed I am even when I have pain. I can't help but think about my son, Alex. I think about how he could've grown up knowing no home. Ever. I think about him possibly never experiencing that sense of security that a home provides. I think about him graduating from an orphanage as a child of 16 and being forced to leave the only "home" he would've known. He would've been thrown out to the streets of Ukraine with no home to come back to for comfort when things became too hard. He wouldn't have had a home with photos and memories and mom-things hung on the walls. He would've had nothing and no one.

I think about my loss of "home" and the pain that I experience. I can't imagine the pain of the 16-year old Ukrainian children that are "graduated" onto the streets of Ukraine with nothing. Not even a place they used to call "home" as we know a home to be.

My heart aches for those orphans and for myself..

Disruption and PAD

2012-01-04T00:07:00.001-05:00

Around this time last year I was really struggling. I remember the depression so clearly. I was suffering. It was pure agony.

I remember a car ride with my husband and the tears wouldn’t stop. I was asking my husband why God would bring us this beautiful child through adoption, only to cheat me of that special parent-child bond. Why would God allow us to make it this far; have this baby in our home, in our arms, only (for me) to despise his very existence? I felt so cheated. In my lowest moments, I hated God. Yes, I was there.

It didn’t take long for me to figure out that I was fighting through a serious case of PAD (post-adoption depression). I was unaware that these horrid feelings toward a child could exist. I felt so guilty. I wondered if my life would always feel this awful and because I couldn’t see how things could change, I began seeking help.

I confided in my wonderful husband throughout most of my struggle. He was patient and tried his best to understand. He never judged and always provided the support I asked for. Many times we discussed the possibility of counseling and we were both okay with this idea even though I never attended.

I DO NOT recommend ignoring treatment when dealing with post-adoption depression. But for me, personally, I chose not to seek professional help. I contacted our social worker who had conducted our home study and she reminded me that 50% of mothers were reporting post-adoption depression. She also gave me resources to professional services that could help. Odd as it sounds, learning about the statistics (the 50%) was enough support for me in my suffering. I realized I wasn’t alone. I sought out testimonies from other adoptive families through blogs and books. I read people’s personal stories of fighting this ugly sickness and quickly learned that my life wouldn’t always feel this way. I learned that with time and self-giving grace, I would feel normal again. Someday in the near future, I would actually love my new child. Someday, I would not understand how despising a baby/toddler was even possible. I had hope. A small part of me was excited to fight through this ugliness.

Some days were more difficult than others. Some days I didn’t want anything to do with him. Some days I was desperate for him not to reject my touch. Some days I felt “normal” returning. There were some low moments that could’ve been dangerous if not for my accountability toward Christ, my husband, and the rest of my family. There were days I had to step as far back as possible- remove myself from the situation. I would sob and pray to God for help. He was my refuge.

I was inspired to share this because I recently read about disruption from another blogger. Disruption in regards to adoption is when a family decides that the child they adopted would be better in a family other than their own. So, this family will seek annulment or will absolve the adoption and either find another family to adopt this child or place the child back with the proper authorities.

I would be lying if I said that I never wanted him to go back. There were two specific times I allowed my mind to wander to that possibility. But in both of those desperate moments I was able to take my personal feelings out of the equation and only think of my son’s well-being. In those two separate times of wondering, only seconds would pass before I realized the absurdity in him permanently leaving our family. It just wasn’t possible. You see, I didn’t choose our son. Reed didn’t choose him either. God chose him for our family and He led us straight to him. There were no major obstacles. There were no signs that made us question the journey. There was nothing but open doors and we walked through each one, never questioning God’s desire for our family. Never in my entire life had I ever felt as convicted as I did through the adoption process of our son. This truly was God’s desire for our family and since it was clearly His will, I knew I had to trust Him to bring me through this dark, agonizing time in my life. Christ was all I had and believe me, I leaned on Him with every part of my being. I knew He was the only way to finding my “normal” again. For me, disruption wasn’t a possibility and not just because I (we) had answered God’s call to our son. Disruption wasn’t an answer because even in my desperate time of depression, I recognized that there was no difference between my biological son and the one God blessed me with through adoption. None. When I had that realization, I noticed the depression start to dissipate. I noticed that I became stronger in my abilities to control my emotions. I noticed the healing truly begin. I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel and so I kept leaning on Christ. I kept reaffirming that this baby was my son regardless of my human weaknesses. There was no difference.

Over one year later, I can’t imagine life without Alex. I am so blessed to have him as my son. I am so thankful that God chose me to mother him. He is a unique little person, created in God’s image and I am so excited for him. He has completely made his transition into our family and I’m so excited for his future. He no longer rejects us. I no longer reject him. We love each other, as mother and son. I shutter to think about the what if had I given in to my human emotions and allowed for a disruption. Only more suffering could’ve been the result.

If your post-adoption depression lasts longer than a few months, seek professional help. Begin by calling your social worker/case worker and he/she will have the resources necessary to begin the healing process.

Gavin Quote 12/31/11

2011-12-31T16:14:00.001-05:00

Gavin trying to get my attention...

"Mom! Are you listening to me or what?!"

Chicago

2011-12-29T01:51:00.001-05:00

I'm so fortunate; blessed; lucky. Some might even say SPOILED! Whatever you call it, I am one or all. My husband has this amazing job that has so many perks. One of my favorite perks is how this job takes him (us) places far from our quiet, country-ish home and brings in some changes of scenery. His job requires some travel and the frequented place of travel is Chicago. I LOVE CHICAGO! (Visiting only) I am fortunate; blessed; lucky; *ahem* SPOILED because I am able to travel with Reed. Now, we have our 3 children so these little work trips are easily turned into mini vacations! Sooo fun!

We left for the greater Chicago area on December 26th (technically the 27th) at 1:00 a.m. YUCK! But this how we roll. We didn't purposely leave this late/early but we still had some Christmas gatherings to attend and all of our packing to complete. (Packing for myself and 3 kids is hard.work!) Our original intention was to leave around 11 p.m. Of course that didn't happen and so we arrived ridiculously early in the morning. With 2 cars. Both him and I driving through the night/morning. With 3 small children. Exhausted from days of Christmas celebrations. Thankfully, with my sister to help. So after we all caught up on our sleep... did some swimming in the hotel pool... and changed hotel rooms because the hotel is under construction for a remodel so we're the first to ever stay in this freshly redone room... we met up with one of our (many) friends that live in Chicago and ate dinner at Rainforest Cafe. So.much.fun! I HIGHLY recommend taking your children there if you are ever in Chi-town! It is so awesome for little kids! Pricey but worth it! I hope to make this restaurant part of every Chicago experience with the kids.

Tomorrow we're going to the winter festival at Navy Pier, the Children's Museum at Navy Pier, and then an evening out with the same friends that took our family to Rainforest Cafe- Matt & Tiffany. We will be watching Notre Dame's bowl game since Matt & Reed were college roommates at Notre Dame. Seems appropriate.

The photo shows my family, my sister, and our friends Matt & Tiffany at Rainforest Cafe in Chicago.

Well, I'm loving this mini trip... very BLESSED!

Ps-
Apparently, Rainforest Cafe has a location near me in Michigan. Bummed (b/c it isn't exclusive to Chicago) and excited all at once!

Gavin Quote 12/25/11

2011-12-25T22:37:00.001-05:00

I gasped on our way home when Reed was driving.
Gavin: "Mom, what did Daddy do?"
Me: "He almost hit a pothole on the edge of the road."
Gavin: "A pothole? Was Swiper in it? I hear Swiper, swiperin'!"
10 minutes later...
Gavin: "Swiper is coming out of his hole! I want to hide! He's coming fast! I want some cake!"

Oh the thought process of a 3-year old at 10:20 p.m.

PS- for all those unaware, Swiper is a character from Dora the Explorer.

Gavin Quote 12/22/11

2011-12-22T08:08:00.001-05:00

"Mom! My poopie is like a tower!"

Whatever happened to, "Mom! I went potty!"

SHEESH!

Ella Laughed

2011-12-21T22:43:00.001-05:00

Friday, December 16, 2011, Ella laughed for the first time. Her Daddy was the comedian behind the whole thing.

Camcorder on standby! We need to get this documented!

Ella's Heart

2011-12-21T22:24:00.001-05:00

Today, Ella weighs 14.4 lbs. She is in the 98th percentile for her size and the 86th percentile for her weight. Her heart is also healthy. Praise God!

During the routine screenings when Ella was born, the doctors discovered she had a heart murmur. Not usually a big deal. But, to be on the safe side, the doctors ordered an echocardiogram. Basically, it is an ultrasound of the heart. She didn't pass that day with flying colors so a pediatric cardiologist was called to look at the results of the echo. He decided her diagnosis (which I can't pronounce, let alone spell) wasn't a major concern. The hospital's pediatric cardiologist recommended a follow-up with her pediatrician in order to decide the plan of action for a further diagnosis and possible treatment plan.

I'm back to our original pediatrician. He is very thorough and wonderful to work with. I switched from the lady pediatrician, that works in the same office, that lectured me about doing Alex a "disservice" for not putting him in daycare because of his English speaking skills. Anyway, the pediatrician recommended Ella have a followup appointment with either the pediatric cardiologist that examined her at the hospital she was born at or we go to the University of Michigan for treatment. I opted to go with U of M. They have such an incredible children's hospital- Mott's Children's Hospital. All of Alex's specialty doctors are part of the U of M's health system and we had a great, successful experience. It seemed an obvious choice. Plus, the pediatrician preferred we go to U of M.

Her followup appointment was today. After an EKG (electrocardiogram) and an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart; non-sedative in her case) ws performed. The results showed that he "murmur" had improved. One of the "murmurs" detected at birth was completely healed. This murmur, is known as an "innocent murmur" as it is non-threatening.

The second and most concerning murmur was caused by a tiny hole between the left and right chambers. This hole is present through all 40 weeks of gestation. Its purpose is to allow blood to bypass being sent to the baby's lungs because the baby obtains oxygen from mom, not his/her lungs before birth. As soon as baby is born, this hole usually closes in response to baby's lungs taking in oxygen for the first time. In some cases, this hole doesn't completely close for the first few months post-partum, or in some cases, never. Ella still has a tiny little hole there. This hole is not a concern because it is not big enough to a.) Throw off oxygen levels or pressure levels; and b.) A blood clot couldn't pass through and make its way to her brain. So, no worries! PRAISE GOD!

National Defense Authorization Act, Section 1031

2011-12-20T21:45:00.001-05:00

National Defense Authorization Act according to the ACLU.

I am honestly scared for my children's future. I cry when I hear that song:

... and I'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me...

Sadly, my tears are no longer tears of pride. No more are tears shed in purely a spirit of gratitude for the men & women who have lost their lives and the families that buried them; because only through those painful moments have we been allowed to live as such a free people. No, now I cry almost in mourning for what once was. I cry for those men and women who paid the ultimate price for freedom, only to have twisted politicians stomp all over the buried veteran's graves with policies that strip our country of the same, blood-soaked freedom.

Currently in 2011, according to The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. is not the most free country in the world. In fact, we're barely in the Top 10!

Those lyrics above now take on a whole new meaning.

Gavin Quote from 12/4/11

2011-12-16T21:00:00.001-05:00

Reed was helping the boys open the door for December 4th on their Advent calendar. It was a camel. The boys were trying to decide where on the manger scene the camel should go. Alex decided that the camel should go directly inside the manger. Gavin responds with, "No! He could poop in there!"

Gavin Quote 12/16/11

2011-12-16T10:53:00.001-05:00

We're in the kitchen trying to figure out what to eat and Gavin says, "I want the chocolate cookies, I said!"

That was the first statement he made while in the kitchen. Apparently, I missed the first time he demanded chocolate cookies.

Alex Quote 12/16/11

2011-12-16T10:30:00.001-05:00

Alex: "Mom, I like your big hair!"
Me: "Thanks, I like yours too!"

When I was taking the photos with my phone, Gavin decided he wanted in on the action too.

Have a great weekend!

URGENT Situation!

2011-12-15T01:24:00.001-05:00

Please read and share. A boy is about to "graduate" the system and is in desperate need of a family!
No Greater Joy Mom: URGENT***URGENT

My Dream

2011-12-14T01:06:00.001-05:00

One of my dreams come true is this precious baby. LOVE her!

Am I Crazy?

2011-12-10T04:35:00.001-05:00

I am so in love with my Ella. I can't stop smiling when I look at her. She is so beautiful and so happy... LOVE HER!

Gavin has come back to me. He left me for a while to be Mr. Independent, (except when he was hurt, tired, hungry, or experiencing any other toddler catastrophe, he asked for his Daddy) I-Can-Do-This-Myself, Gavin. He left me with barely any hugs or kisses, until recently. He is back and in full throttle lovey-dovey mode... LOVE HIM!

Alex was never with me, but he has been lately. He follows Gavin's lead when it comes to affection. He is working so hard at understanding my love, Reed's love and Gavin's love for him. Sometimes he is not accepting of our affections, but that is improving. You know he is loving on you when he begins mulling you with his sniffing... yes, sniffing! He rubs his nose on you, sniffs, then squeals with pure delight... LOVE HIM!

But alas, I may be crazy. I am not fulfilled. My heart isn't full. I want more children... WHAT?! We've already been told we're crazy because have 3 kids all age 3 and under. We've been asked if we're trying to catch up to Reed's family, there were 6 kids total. People's comments are starting to make me wonder, "Am I crazy?"

Naaah!

Advent Calendar - Gavin Quote 12/4/11

2011-12-05T21:11:00.001-05:00

Reed helped the boys open Day 4 on the Advent Calendar. It was a camel. The boys were trying to decide where on the manger scene the camel should go. Alex decided that the camel should go directly inside the manger.

Gavin responds with, “No! He could poop in there!”

Let the Dog Bark

2011-12-05T19:55:00.001-05:00

Satan is like a barking dog outside- once you let him in he becomes quiet.

I refuse to let the dog in regardless of how loud he barks. Do you?

Announcements!

2011-11-26T02:37:00.001-05:00

1st Announcement

We have a renter! Finally! We were beginning to wonder… YIKES!

Reed has met our new renter and the guy seems nice. Please send prayers our way that we have no issues and it turns out to be a good, hassle-free, experience!

2nd Announcement

We’ve started the process of hiring an investigator in Ukraine to look up Alex’s bio family. We’re excited to do this and very hopeful that we are able to obtain some photos and information that can answer some of the questions Alex will be sure to have in the future.

3rd Announcement

We began a trial run of home schooling last week. I made up the curriculum and basically we will be doing a lot of story time, letter recognition, name recognition, and learning colors. I basically make these activities into a game and we “play” until their attention span is gone. They “go to school” in our front room two days a week.

4th Announcement

I’m very delighted to say that our Christmas cards are ordered and on their way!! Woo hoo! I’m also excited because I’ve already began our Christmas shopping! Usually, Reed and I are just beginning 2 weeks before Christmas! I knew I had to jump on it this year and so I’ve turned on my computer a lot lately to check things out for ideas and even make some purchases. We’ve decided to be creative with their gifts and they may only receive one or two toys between the 2 of them. Anything else they receive will be practical. Ella will most likely receive clothes and possibly one girl, infant toy.

Last year, I committed to beginning some traditions in our family for Christmas. I purchased an Advent Calendar by Kurt Adler, along with an Advent book that will hopefully help us to use the calendar. The calendar is a box with little drawers for each day and the middle will turn into the manger scene as the kids place the magnetic figurines on display.

For a more Roman Catholic, family tradition, I purchased an Advent wreath. Advent begins this Sunday so I need to get ready for the celebration of these new traditions!! I’m so excited to make these things part of our family, Advent traditions!

Thing 1 and Thing 2

2011-11-26T02:17:00.001-05:00

Without missing a beat, my boys played their characters well. For Halloween, Alex & Gavin dressed up as Things 1 and 2, from Cat in the Hat. The idea came to me after watching an episode and realizing that my boys act just like the Thing 1 & 2 characters- bouncing and flipping and running and… just being crazy!

We have our Halloween fun twice with trick-or-treating. The boys trick-or-treat with my Mom and my sister’s family first. Every year my sister and her husband go camping at an RV resort about 5 minutes away from our new house- very convenient for us now! Every year, we’ve visited with them and taken advantage of the very generous, fellow campers and all that candy. Last year, the campground was all the trick-or-treating they did but this year we decided to let them go out one more time. Here are photos from trick-or-treating at the campground.

The boys’ costumes were made by my sister, mom, and myself. I purchased the red sweat pants and sweat shirts at Meijer. My mom found the white, stick-on felt at a local craft store, Crafts 2000. I bought black puffy paint from Meijer and my sister used that to write “Thing 1” and “Thing 2” on the white felt. Pretty sweet! They received A LOT of compliments!

Here are photos of their 2nd night of trick-or-treating. This was in our new neighborhood. Every year, Reed’s side of the family gathers at Reed’s brother’s house and the kids go trick-or-treating within the neighborhood, which is our neighborhood now too! We walked to Reed’s brother’s house, ate dinner, and then went out for the 2nd time.

Photo op on our front porch before going to Reed’s brother’s.

This is all family in this photo. This doesn’t show everyone, but we were the biggest group out that night!

Passing by our house, lit up with our carved pumpkins.

A few nights before, Reed and the boys carved out their pumpkins.

Happy 3rd Birthday Gavin!

2011-11-26T01:41:00.001-05:00

I’m so behind on blogging! Sheesh!

Gavin turned 3 on November 6th! We were able to celebrate in our own home, which is a huge blessing! Typically, our celebrations are located at Reed’s parents’ house or we rent out a hall. I am so happy that this celebration as well as all future celebrations will be held in our own home!

Happy Birthday my little man! We love you so much! We are truly blessed to have you in our lives! We’re so thankful to watch you grow… and grow…

Your Daddy and I LOVE you so deeply! Hugs and kisses to you, baby boy!

All of Gavin’s siblings and 1st cousins.You can see where little fingers were sampling the cake!

Family Shots!

Ella

2011-11-16T23:31:00.001-05:00

I have some major blogging (catching up) to do! I will go in chronological order. For starters, here are the photos taken of Ella, by the photographer at the hospital.

I also need to blog about Halloween, moving, Gavin’s 3rd birthday, and Alex’s one year of being home. I better get typing…

PS-

I hate these watermarks. But, I don’t want my kids in some ad in Europe without my permission… just sayin’.

Orphan Awareness Month

2011-11-07T22:57:00.001-05:00

Sunday, November 6, 2011 was Orphan Sunday. I am not good at finding words so when someone else does that hard part for me, I’m so thankful. In this case, a women we met at a church service when were in Ukraine, found more than the words… she used this incredible video…

http://karensprings.blogspot.com/2011/11/orphan-sunday.html

What will you do?

Milestones

2011-11-06T01:39:00.000-04:00

This is a mommy milestone; I left Ella for a few hours- for the first time- with Reed so that I, along with my grandma, aunt, cousin, and mom could celebrate my sister's 21st birthday at MGM in downtown Detroit. First I hosted a pink-themed dinner/martini party at my house. Then Reed removed the car seats and I drove us ladies downtown. BTW- Cotton candy martinis are yummy!

When we left, I did not cry. Surprisingly. However, I talked about the boys and Ella the entire time I drove. Not surprising.

Ella's bottle feeding went well. She remained on her normal schedule and was sleeping "like a baby" when I arrived home. All was a success!

Gavin Quote 11/4/11

2011-11-04T19:40:00.001-04:00

We're trying to figure out who possibly had a number two accident. I asked Gavin if it was him and his reply was, "Maybe I fauted."

Of course, it was just that.

Apple Pickin'

2011-11-04T10:19:00.001-04:00

This reminds of my J.V basketball days. We used to play this school that had girls as tall as 5'7" in Junior High. They had this play where the center would barely go down the court on defense. She would linger at center court and make a break for her team's basket as soon as they regained possession of the ball. The player on her team that either won the rebound or towered over our team, consistently denying each of our 2-point attempts and basically stole the ball on its way up to the basket, would throw the ball down court to the cherry picker- that girl that lingered at center court and made the break for her team's basket and never played any defense. Cherry picker would stand at the bottom of the key (either side) and put 'em in off the back board, e-v-e-r-y time! That is how they scored during each ball possession they had. That is how they handed us our... pardon my french... butts every time we played them! Oh memories.

My children are not cherry pickin' and dominating the court. No. They are dominating my kitchen. Every. Morning. Ugh! This morning they went apple pickin'! And as soon as they had their contraband, they stored it in the same location- under Gavin's bed. I discovered the nabbed apples, partially eaten. Wasted.

They also stole some fall decor. My scarecrow was kidnapped from my kitchen table. Thankfully, no harm was done and he was safely returned to his perch.

A fellow blogger has suggested a wireless camera that will email me a photo each time it senses motion. Coupling this camera with an alarm will hopefully end these kitchen raids. Good 'ol fashion discipline isn't working.

Photos of the latest victims...

Party Cancelled!!

2011-11-03T10:17:00.001-04:00

Well... maybe not. But I don't even know what to do- except the obvious cleaning part! Both boys pulled down the party supplies from the kitchen counter and opened EVERYTHING except one package of napkins! Thomas the Train party supplies are not cheap! Plus a partially eaten bag of tortilla chips!

This is what I wake to every morning! Every morning when I wake up there's a halo... four post bed... I keep hearing those stupid Sugar Ray lyrics because the phrase Every Morning bounces off the inside of my cranium like a ping pong ball for the first few hours of every day! Every morning there is a stunt pulled or a mess (usually involving food) that I have to thank God they didn't die from or clean up!

I start each day by creeping out of my bedroom, looking around to see what they've done. When I find the mini catastrophe or spot the kid hanging over the banister railing, nearly falling over 8' to his possible broken neck, my mind angrily asks rhetorically, "...every morning?" And then that stupid songs starts playing in my head and I'm left with it aaaalllll daaaaayy! I used to like the song.

I'm writing this down because someday I'll laugh, just as I have with all the other shenanigans. I mean, I can already smile because my dog is enthusiastically cleaning up the chips for me as I type. However, I am dreading the moment he decides to spew it all back up. I should probably go stop him. Plus I'm still debating on using those plates they opened. If you're invited to Gavin's birthday party, sshhhh, don't tell anyone and sorry.

Both boys have been sitting in the longest timeout ever. Of course, I'm not convinced it will resolve the every morning issue. My sister in-law gave me a wonderful idea. Perhaps I should put an alarm on their door so that I know when they're up??? Instead of every morning my brain will snap awake with, they're up! I picture myself suddenly sitting up in bed, inhaling a short, startled breath. Why? Because my mind will have an internal alarm that sounds like, "They're up!" said in the same tone as, "They're baaack!" from the movie Poltergeist II. Yah, that would be just as pleasant as good 'ol Sugar Ray song lyrics.

Well, our dog just plopped his butt down by my feet in complete satisfaction.Looks like I better grab the vacuum and start cleaning!

Daddy's "Workers" & "Gaga" Bars

2011-11-02T21:35:00.001-04:00

Gavin comes out of the kitchen (where he's not supposed to be) and I ask him what he was doing. He replies, "Nothing."

But I know he's up to something and I ask him again, "What were you doing?"
"Playing with Daddy's workers." replies Gavin.

"Workers" refers to tools.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Speaking of renaming things...

Neither of the boys can say "granola" so when they ask for a granola bar they say, "Can I have a gaga bar please?"

Gavin Quote 11/2/11

2011-11-02T12:39:00.001-04:00

Earlier today, Gavin explains that Cat in the Hat was on t.v. We turn on the t.v. and another kid show is on. I explain to him that this other show is on instead.

Three kid shows later, an announcement for Cat in the Hat coming on next appears and Gavin says, "See mom! I told you! I told you Cat in the Hat! I told you!"

Gavin, four days from turning 3... going on 13! What a kid!

Gavin Quote 10/26/11

2011-10-26T16:16:00.001-04:00

"Daddy, I want to escape outside."

Trying to explain to his Dad that he would like to go to the doctor's office with him and Alex.

Alex Quote 10/26/11

2011-10-26T16:13:00.001-04:00

"Mom, I'm going to the doctor because my belly is full." Alex explained to me with his hand on his hip and tilting his head back and forth.

Daddy told him that was why he was getting ready and so he felt he should inform me.

Our house is filled with sickies, including myself. We all have bronchitis and Gavin confirmed this yesterday at his yearly doctor appointment. In order to receive an official diagnosis for Alex, we had to go back to the doctor today.

Toughen Up!

2011-10-26T10:00:00.001-04:00

I have concluded that my precious baby girl will not survive in this household unless she adapts to the roughness that surrounds her. Last week, Tuesday, she was stepped on by her brother, Gavin. I had placed her on a blanket, on the floor next to the couch. I told the boys to stay away. They have so much more space; two other rooms designated for them to play! But, it happened, Gavin ran through where Ella was and accidentally stepped on her.

I did not see the collision but I heard Ella scream like never before. The left side of her face looked as though she had been punched! After comforting her and preventing myself from totally freaking out on Gavin, I asked him to point where he stepped on her. He said he didn't know but eventually he pointed to her chest.

I called the kids' pediatrician and got her an appointment within an hour. During the visit the doctor couldn't find any obvious signs of trauma but referred her for an x-ray. About 3 hours later we were informed that Ella had suffered no trauma anywhere on her body and that she was fine. I could breathe again.

Ella can no longer lay on the floor. For her to learn to roll and do her "tummy time" eventually, I suppose she will have to be in her pack 'n play.

Stinkin' bash brothers!

Prayer Request

2011-10-22T07:37:00.001-04:00

I received a prayer request yesterday from a friend of our previous church. She received this prayer request from a member of another church in the area. I'm passing on the prayer request because the woman requesting has asked God for a miracle. This blog is the biggest platform I have and so here goes the request...

A woman has asked that we pray for her son, Jonathon & his girlfriend, Tracy. Please pray that Tracy would change her heart and give life to her unborn baby. Jonathon is devastated as he has no rights to his unborn child.

Please pass this on if you feel led to do so. Thank you.

Motivation, where are you?

2011-10-21T11:11:00.001-04:00

I can remember how a few weeks ago I was so pregnant that my body was literally in pain when simply standing. I remember sitting on the couch with ant in my pants because my mind kept going through the mile-long list of tasks that needed completed, but I knew there was no way I would get to them.

Here I am now, not pregnant, not in pain, but highly unmotivated. I have a house to put together. I have Gavin's birthday party to plan. I have a baptism to plan. I'm hosting my sister's 21st birthday. Yet, I have no motivation for anything. It is almost as if my body has shutdown and totally depleted of any form of energy. Performing simple tasks is a struggle and it isn't because of the kids. I would love to blame them.

It is me! I've let my relationship with Christ go and so now my lifeline is gone. I've turned away from my support system. Every day I've set myself up for failure because I have forgotten where to turn. Me, alone, never works. I've learned this lesson before. Time to reignite my relationship with Christ. How did I forget?

I miss Ukraine

2011-10-20T14:05:00.001-04:00

I go through moments, sometimes days where I miss Ukraine.

I miss the simplicity of the country. I miss the culture. I miss having the ability to explore and see many things that will never be seen here. I can't explain it, I just miss Ukraine.

Today I watched a documentary about "The Zone" around Chernobyl and how the wildlife has thrived even though it is a radioactive zone. Watching and hearing the people speak in Russian was unusually pleasant.

When the documentary showed Ukrainian landscape, I wanted to be there. Not in "the zone" but just in Ukraine.

We will go back. We've planned to do so as soon as Alex is old enough to appreciate and be interested in going, if not before then. So until I can go back, I will try and bring Ukraine here through food and tradition.

Home-Made Goggles

2011-10-13T14:44:00.002-04:00

Reed was sanding down the wall in order to paint where some holes had been filled and he was getting dry wall dust in his eyes. We're at the condo and everything had been packed and hauled to the new house- no safety goggles anywhere. No problem...

Reed is a genius and so he used some package tape to shield his eyes from the dust. I wonder what the tape felt like coming off? Ha ha!

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Making Progress

2011-10-12T10:25:00.001-04:00

I'm sitting here with the boys watching Sesame Street and life feels good!

I'm almost completely done with our kitchen. I only have a partial load of dishes yet to wash- which is such a relief. After that, window treatments need purchased and the floor needs a major scrub down. But those things are so minor in comparison to how we started. Because most everything is taken care of... wait, I still need to put away the canned goods. But still, there are less boxes sitting in my living room and THAT feels great!

Right now our closet shelves are being installed!! You know what that means?!?! I can hang up clothes and stop living out of luggage bags and boxes! This means many, MANY, boxes will disappear over the next few days. Yes, life is grand!

On the Ella front...
Since exclusively nursing, in 2 weeks I was able to help her gain her birth weight back and then some! Yesterday at her appointment she weighed 11.9 pounds! At her 1st appointment she wasn't gaining like she should and I was worried. But my Mommy instincts kicked in and I put her on a 2-hour nursing schedule (3 hours at night) and wah-lah! It worked! I received permission to let her go up to 5 hours at night and allow her to feed on demand during the day- no more feeding timer.

:)

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Leading Worship

2011-10-10T14:15:00.001-04:00

Perhaps she's leading the congregation in song and praise... in her dream.

Beautiful baby girl, Mommy loves you!

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Bike Humor

2011-10-10T01:43:00.001-04:00

Reed and I were driving up to our condo to complete some cleaning and painting for our TBD renters and we both had a good laugh. I wish I could've snapped a photo!

Reed: "Awww... look at them."

I turn and not expecting what I saw, I began laughing. To my right on the county's bike path are two men riding on a tandom bicycle in matching bike outfits, head to toe including their helmets!

I felt bad for laughing at them but couldn't stop.

Me: "Maybe they're training for something... do they have events where people ride tandom?"

No response from Reed in regards to my question.

Reed: "Was the big white one in the front maybe a chick?"

Me: "No."
I was shaking my head at Reed and his reaction to the poor dudes and secretly hoping the big white one in the front was in fact a chick.

You would think we didn't live around there for 5 plus years!

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Suckers for breakfast anyone?

2011-10-09T10:34:00.001-04:00

I don't have any photos because Reed handled this one.

I heard a loud crash and immediately shoved Reed out of bed to investigate. One of the perks or perhaps downside to having the kids' rooms on the other side of the house is that you can't hear them if they wake before you. Unless it is a loud crash...

After shoving Reed out of bed, he discovered our boys behind the loveseat with the candy bag. It is the bag I store all of Halloween and Easter's treats in and we slowly work through it for the year. Well, in one setting they managed to eat 7 suckers between the two of them! Oh boy!

Church should be fun!

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Where do the bowls go?

2011-10-08T22:35:00.001-04:00

Who's idea was it to have a baby and move to a different house all in the same week? I don't recommend it!

Of the gazillion things I have going on, the most overwhelming is unpacking. I don't know where things should go. I put them away and then I'll find something that would work better in that spot so I change it up.

The only rooms I've been focussed on for the past week and a half is my kitchen and laundry rooms. They're the only rooms painted and cleaned (except the floors) so that things can be put away.

I'm amazed at how much crap... *ahem* I mean, stuff we have. How did we fit it all in a house almost half this size? I don't know the answer, but I do know a garage sale is in order for next spring. Funny that I feel the need to downsize our belongings in a larger home.

Hey! Can someone please tell me where the bowls should go? I'm confused... I keep thinking of the movie Mrs. Doubtfire and how in one of the scenes, Mrs. Doubtfire compliments the Mom on how well her kitchen is organized. Is there a specific flow to a kitchen that I'm supposed to be aiming for? My goal lately is just to make it fit... Lord help me.

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Follow the Leader

2011-10-06T23:37:00.001-04:00

While I love all of my children. I've noticed that I respond very differently to each of them. I feel differently toward each of them. The only thing that holds true with each of them is my unconditional love for them. It is a love so strong that I would sacrifice all I have, myself even, without hesitation if needed. I adore each of them.

With all that being said, I am annoyed with one of my children. Am I allowed to openly admit that?

One of my children is known for his "leadership skills" in our home. He bosses anyone within hearing distance. He will answer questions not directed at him. Sometimes after being disciplined for a certain action, he'll talk his brother into copying the same disobedient action!

My other son will go along; he'll play follow the leader and more often then not, he'll end up in trouble.

Is this a sibling dynamic I'll have to get used to? I really miss my sweet little boy that when he's not being led off a cliff, is the most polite and obedient child.

I really hope this comes to pass.

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Blessings in Chaos

2011-10-04T15:14:00.001-04:00

My computer doesn't have internet access yet, so I'm utilizing my cell phone for most of my internet needs. However, my cell phone keeps warning me of its low battery and I'm wondering when it will die. I do know where my charger is at least, which is not the case with most of my possessions.

I wanted to take a photo of my new living room but since my phone's battery life is too low, it will not allow it. The photo would show a fraction of the chaos I'm living in. Ladders, unpacked boxes, luggage bags (we're living out of), cleaning supplies, walls with holes and paint missing... I could go on.

I could also go on about how my laundry room is totally cleaned out and my new washer and dryer have been installed. I could tell you that our kitchen and laundry were professionally painted and I LOVE how they turned out! I could tell you that our kitchen appliances were also delivered and I now have a usuable refrigerator and stove! I could tell you all these wonderful things, as I just did, but nothing beats this...

I was recently blessed by a beautiful daughter. She is perfect. I'm in love with her and the reason I've only been able to complete one room on my long list of cleaning is because I would rather hold my new bundle. I'd rather take all of her "newborn-ness" in. I'd rather not miss out on my bonding time with her.

So I'll happily sit in my new home that is under construction because behind all the physical signs of obvious chaos is a new joy- my baby girl.

Life sure is full of blessings! I love you, Ella.

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Nursing Established

2011-09-29T14:39:00.001-04:00

It took a while but a 2 hour nursing schedule was finally established yesterday.

When in the hospital she had to have the little skin that connects the bottom of her tongue and the bottom of her mouth clipped- she was tongue tied and couldn't latch on properly. I lost a day of nursing and had to play catch up via a pump. It worked out and Ella is no longer supplementing with formula and is now only nursing.

I forgot how exhausting this is... wouldn't have it any other way though!

LOVE HER!

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All Ella

2011-09-26T16:14:00.001-04:00

There are a lot of photos of Ella on our regular camera, but these days it is a huge hassle to pull out the SD card and turn on the computer to upload them. I promise though, at some point I'll share.

In the meantime, please enjoy photos I've taken with my phone. I know I'm a biased mamma, but she is too beautiful! I absolutely LOVE her!

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Ella's Homecoming

2011-09-24T14:55:00.001-04:00

On our way home! We had a great experience!

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Ellasyn Marie

2011-09-23T15:42:00.001-04:00

Ella was born September 22, 2011 at 7:24p.m. She weighed in at 10lbs. 3oz.! She was just shy of her Gavin's birth weight by 5 oz.! I had a feeling she was out to try and beat him!

Ella caused 23 hours of labor. Seven of them I suffered through at home. Of those 23 hours, I only pushed about 1/2 before she was born! I progressed faster than expected and nobody (including myself) thought I could push out a 10lb. baby, let alone push her out in a 1/2 hour! I surprised my doctor and the nurses.

I had a wonderful nurse! She took wonderful care of me from the time I was transferred to labor & delivery until Ella was born. She coached me through each contraction and push. She told me exactly when to breathe, how to breathe, when to push, and when to rest. There is no way I would've done as well as I did without her!

This experience was of course, full of pain. But it was also wonderful!

I love her so much! She's so beautiful!

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Ella’s Scheduled Arrival

2011-09-21T20:31:00.001-04:00

After the near-labor experience yesterday, I’m done waiting. My body isn’t holding up the way I would expect. I’m no longer able to properly care for my born children. On September 25th, I’ll be 40 weeks. It is time!

On Friday, September 23rd, I’m scheduled for an elective induction. Labor just isn’t happening soon enough and this baby is getting big. I’m getting big. Plus, a couple of hours after I was home from my doctor appointment today, I called and begged my doctor not to make me wait until the following week, as he had planned to have me do. As of today, I was told to “rest”. Not bed rest, but to rest. I have high blood pressure that is borderline ok and borderline not ok, which is why I was told to rest. But, if you know something I don’t, please enlighten me because I’m wondering how do I rest with 2 toddler BOYS!?

Simple. I can’t.

Reed took off the rest of this week and all of next week. He has to make an appearance at some finished project meeting tomorrow night. Other then that, he is mine until October 3rd! Kinda crazy.

In a normal paternity leave situation, all the time would be spent preparing or adjusting to baby. Nope. This time we don’t have that convenience. This time will be a combination of adjusting to baby and moving!

To say that our life is crazy is more than an understatement. I don’t think I’ve ever had this many things going on in my life. No wonder my blood pressure is creeping up!

I’m going to ask for some prayers for Friday. Please pray that…

One: Labor & Delivery doesn’t reschedule my induction. They can and will if an emergency situation arises and they don’t have the medical staff needed to support me. So that is the first prayer, that I actually get to go in on Friday. I have to call at 5 a.m. to double-check.

Two: Ella stays healthy and has no stress during labor. That I stay healthy and that we incur no major problems. An insignificant prayer would be that Ella isn’t much over 8.5lbs. – that would just be nice and easier for me.

Three: Labor actually progresses well and I’m able to have a successful V-BAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). This is important because if I don’t progress well then I will end up with a cesarean delivery again. If I deliver via cesarean, that means I will have a longer recovery time.

and

Four: For my boys. It will be a chaotic few days for them.

Well, I’m having some back labor. Off to the shower I go with a timer.

Thank you! We’re super excited about these next few days!

The Fiasco

2011-09-21T07:15:00.001-04:00

Fiasco sounds like a party, to me. Maybe because it is so close to the word, fiesta!

We didn't have a fiesta yesterday- sadly. But, we did finally close on our house! Woo hoo!

That morning we did our final walk-thru to make sure all was still well and in tact- it was. As we were walking I kept contracting so hard that I was having a difficult time standing up unsupported and I couldn't talk! This had to be it!

Reed called his mom to take me to the hospital so that he could travel over an hour away to sign the closing documents. We game planned ahead of time and I told him there was no way we were going to postpone closing!

I get to triage and my contractions were between 1 & 3 minutes apart- not good!

Come to find out I was severely dehydrated! My body sucked down 1.5 bags of I.V. with no problem. The contractions slowed down, but they were still painful. The nurse/midwife that was monitoring my progress didn't see enough progress with my cervix to admit me- she wanted to though.

I spent over 3 hours in triage while Reed obtained our new house. He made it to me in time to hear why I wasn't going to be admitted.

I'm so thankful for my family! I'm especially thankful for my mother inlaw who drove me and stayed with me at the hospital!

Come on Ella! We're all waiting and cheering for ya!

That night we went to our new house. We were greeted by my mom and sister with their house warming gifts- Alex & Gavin. Shortly afterwards, we were welcomed by some neighbors we didn't know and some neighbors we do know! Reed's brother, Shawn and his family WALKED (love it!) to our house and also came with a house warming gift- toilet paper! I'm very thankful for that! Napkins are no substitute for good 'ol t.p.

After all of our guests left, we took measurements to estimate the amount of paint. We ordered take out from a local pizza place- yummy! We ate our 1st dinner on the floor using ripped up pizza boxes as plates!

It was an unforgettable day and night!

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Alex Quote 9/18/11

2011-09-18T15:20:00.001-04:00

Reed asks me the time and Alex confidently answers, "10 to 6!"

Where did he come up with that?

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Life On a Timer

2011-09-16T08:45:00.001-04:00

I feel like my life has been paused for the past month or two.

I've been extremely consistent (a word I struggle with) with potty training and that consistency has paid off with Gavin. He now goes to his "froggy" potty chair on his own for #1 or #2! He also goes when "potty alarm" rings but sometimes he complains because he knows he really doesn't need to. Yet, he sits down and get up seconds later because he is so willing to go potty. I think he loves the celebration and "potty treats" he receives for leaving me a little gift to be flushed. This is far better then changing a 2.5, almost 3-year old's diaper!

Alex is still struggling. I can't blame him. His bowels are not working quite like the rest of ours, yet. He can do his #1 with no problem and will not go in his underwear. However, he always waits for the timer except for the morning when first getting up. As far #2 goes, I have a plan to try. If this plan doesn't work we'll have to go back to his G.I. Specialist to have things accessed and receive some advice. I really want to make sure we're not making any of this potty training harder then it needs to be. A child that has had a pull-thru surgery before has been potty trained and I'm not into reinventing the wheel.

I must say that I'll take the 45 minute timer any day over changing their diapers!

There is more though. Not with potty training, but with timers.

Contractions. Ugh! "Are you timing them?" A question my husband is always asking. Quite frankly, I don't want to! I'm so sick of them getting between 4 to 5 minutes apart for an hour only to be disappointed when they jump to 8 minutes! Then they jump to 13... 20... 30... and DONE! These contractions are technically Braxton Hicks but they are painful! I mean I can't talk, I get tears, and my back and legs ache type of hurting. Sometimes the blood rushes from my head and I feel as though I could pass out. They HURT!

My body is doing a lot of the "labor" on/off now. That is something I can appreciate. At least I'm receiving a lot of breaks as I contract hard, dilate and my cervix continues to thin out! Like if I were to run a marathon (10K would be more likely) my ideal method of completing the race would be to do it in short spurts over a few days. I wouldn't want lose my breath!

The problem is that it takes soooo long! I just want to cross the finish line!

Time to record the time, "8:43 am" on the notepad! Oh and 40 minutes from now the boys need to go back on the potty!

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We Came Home

2011-09-15T16:22:00.001-04:00

One year ago today, we landed at Metro Detroit Airport with our newest addition, Alex. We were greeted by many excited and teary family members. We ourselves were exhausted. I had spent a little over 5 weeks away from my other son, Gavin, who was only 21 months old at the time! He ran through the security point to me- no one stopped him. I had never missed someone the way I missed him.

My family came to our house and we all ate Arby’s. We were going on 24 hours of being awake (maybe more, I can’t remember) but as soon as I sat down, I fell asleep. It felt so good, better than I could’ve imagined, to be home.

I had intended on sharing a video of our time in Ukraine. Unfortunately, we’ve had to upgrade computers since I’ve last posted video from our video camera and now, the software I need to install the video camera is packed away for our move to our new house. I guess the video will have to wait. But, here are some photos instead:

Before they left for the airport, Nana helped Gavin make this sign for our homecoming.

At the airport, Aunt Tiffini and Gavin wait for our arrival.

Gavin had ran through the security point to me! Oh the tears…

Me and my boys… LOVE them!

Just so overwhelmed, I couldn’t control the tears…

The ride home from the airport and the first time Alex had ever been in a car seat- he didn’t mind it.

Our 1st family dinner!! Yummy Arby’s… LOL!

We are so blessed! I can’t believe a full year has passed!

One Year Ago Today

2011-09-13T22:05:00.001-04:00

One year ago, we had our 1st Embassy appointment in Kyiv, Ukraine. I remember it clearly. I remember the long line outside of the Embassy. I remember walking up to the door and being questioned why we were there. I remember walking in after responding and feeling slightly guilty for not having to wait with everyone else. I remember the security and the personnel that worked there- mostly all Ukrainian and couldn’t help but think it was strange. I remember walking in what seemed like a maze of hallways and doors in order to finally find the waiting room for processing Alex’s adoption paperwork. I remember the other people that were in the waiting area. I remember Alex’s reaction to the strange place- he cried so hard. I remember watching the other children with their new families and thinking about how incredible this journey is. I remember feeling relieved that we were so close to being done and able to go home.

One year ago today, I remember sitting in disbelief at what had occurred over the previous year! Here I sit again, thinking the same thing.

Remembering Our Heroes

2011-09-11T09:47:00.001-04:00

Ten years have passed since September 11, 2001. A day that brought extreme loss to many American families, as well as families from many other countries.

Today, people gather at the site of the fallen towers, now a memorial site created in honor of those who gave their lives and for those whose lives were stolen. The surviving family members gather at this place to grieve and remember their loved ones.

Today, let us bow our heads and pray. Let us pray for the souls of the many perished. Let us pray for the families that mourn today, that they find support from community and peace in Christ.

Thank you to the heroes that rushed in to help as many were rushing out. May we never forget...

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Worst Case Scenario

2011-09-09T17:56:00.001-04:00

It looks as though the end is in sight with the house buying ordeal! Today we submitted our last document and it looks as though it is very possible we will close by September 15th! However, yes, there is a "however".

Due to the nature in which Reed gets paid (the 15th of every month) we might have to close on the 16th so that we can provide the "official", most recent pay stub at closing. Why? Because Reed makes commission. Plain and simple... and dumb, if you ask me.

Oh well. It looks as though we'll have our house before the end of this month! Woo hoo! Now let's see if we can have our baby too!

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September, One Year Ago

2011-09-08T20:58:00.001-04:00

These are the posts from September 2010, while in Ukraine and some after arriving back home. I plan to post the videos from Ukraine that we haven’t shared before. We recorded the day we picked him up from his orphanage and I hope to post that soon.

Our little guy has come along in leaps and bounds. I can’t believe it has only been one year!

September 1, 2010- “No Alex Yet” by, Reed

September 2, 2010- “No Alex Yet – The Sequel” by, Reed

September 3, 2010- “Alex’s Gotcha Day is Today!”

September 3, 2010- “Alex’s Gotcha Day”

September 4, 2010- “God’s Work”

September 6, 2010- “Our First Days Together”

September 7, 2010- “Pictures of Our First Few Days Together”

September 8, 2010- “U.S. Consulate Closed for Conferences…”

September 8, 2010- “Perspective”

September 10, 2010- “The Latest”

September 10, 2010- “Ukraine Parliament Set to Vote!”

September 13, 2010- “1st Embassy Appointment Done!”

September 17, 2010- “We’re Home!”

September 21, 2010- “Parliament Vote”

September 26, 2010- “Courage”

I couldn't find the words to say...

2011-09-08T10:30:00.002-04:00

... but there is always someone who can.

This is the reality and truth, shared and sometimes spoken. But usually, it is simply dealt with, struggled through, and left at the altar. Left to our healing and most merciful God because through Him only, do I find the peace and rest needed to wake up the next day and start over again.

These are the words I couldn't find to say:
Jen Hatmaker Blog

Thank you for providing them.

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Closing/House Update

2011-09-08T09:58:00.001-04:00

Reed has worked exhaustively getting the ridiculous amount of paperwork to the under writer. Some of it a repeat of items already sent and some that was dropped on us like a bomb this past Tuesday.

Things are looking up because in the email that requested these multiple documents the first sentence was something like: "These are what we need to get closed..." I would assume, along with my husband, mortgage broker, and realtor that this statement (from the under writer) means that THESE ARE IT! No more! Finished! I'm trying not to get my hopes up.

It is getting a little stressful because we NEED to close by 9/15, preferably a couple days before. There are a few reasons and some of those reasons are out of our control. It just has to happen!

We should hear back today/tomorrow about the status of our closing.

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Gavin Quote 9/7/11

2011-09-07T14:57:00.001-04:00

We're at the hospital for my doctor appointment and Reed is taking Alex to the bathroom. Gavin and I are sitting in a waiting area just outside the bathrooms and a man in his 50's blows his nose as he walks by. It sounded like he was blowing a horn. Gavin, while sitting in his chair, points at the man as he's walking in front of where we're sitting and says:
"Did you bart?!"
The man ignores the question and I jump in and say, "No Gavin. He just blew his nose."
Gavin, with a confused look on his face says,"Oh... he got a booger in his nose?"
I laugh. "Yes Gavin, he probably had boogers in his nose."

The man heard everything and so did a few other people. I couldn't slide down in my chair anymore. I also couldn't help but laugh at my son.

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Fast Closing Update

2011-09-06T12:46:00.001-04:00

With the letter from the multi-level company and from Reed's employer... oh and the multiple other documents that are repeats or at least, easy to obtain, we "...should be fine." According to our mortgage broker.

We will see how this goes. Please pray or cross your fingers or whatever works best for you. I'm going to pray.

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Closing Issues

2011-09-06T12:29:00.001-04:00

We ran into end-of-the-month with our under writer's company and it feels like we are starting over again with this process now that the new month began. We are resending documents and still trying to prove "dissolvement" of a business that can't be dissolved because it is a distributorship, almost like a membership! There was nothing filed that gave us a legal recognization with any government entity, in order to create an actual business. So there is nothing that can be officially "dissolved" in the terms the under writer is looking for. It was a distributorship with a multi-level marketing company that we did pursue at one time. But because in that time we were treating it as a business, we also wrote expenses off as losses when we filed our taxes. The thing is that we haven't pursued this business for over a year and kept our distributorship because we enjoy ordering the company's products at a discount.

In hopes that we can get around this ridiculous technicality,today, Reed closed that account and we should receive a letter from this company stating that we closed our distributorship. This is also being submitted with a letter from an accountant stating we will not file a loss with this company for the 2011 tax season. Can we make this statement more legally binding with a lawyer? Really? We are sort of getting desperate here.

The other idea Reed will pursue is having a letter wrote by his employer stating that his income will be higher than last year. Hopefully this will offset the income to debt ratio that we are missing by 2 points!! Basically if we hadn't wrote off those expenses, we wouldn't have this issue and perhaps our under writer/mortgage broker would've already allowed us to close. Oh and the fact that we'll own 2 homes doesn't help either! Anyone want to purchase condo?

By the way, if we had applied for a traditional mortgage or FHA loan we wouldn't even be having this issue. Everything is a mess and more strict because we are applying for a loan through Homepath which is Fannie Mae's loan type for homes that are a foreclosure.

There are advantages to this loan type that makes our interest rate lower and allows us more flexibility in closing fees. It also allows a lower down payment by 1/2 a percentage and doesn't require mortgage insurance. Mortgage insurance can increase your monthly mortgage payment by a few hundred dollars- we were trying to save a few bucks (a lot of money) a month!

But now we're considering our options. Do we start over with a FHA loan (we already have a traditional 30 year with the 20% down)? Do we find a different mortgage broker who works with a different under writer? All of this would be at the risk of breaking our contract with the seller which states we need to close by September 15th. Or, do we keep providing documents that have been repeatedly requested and hope the under writer will accept the letter from the multi-level marketing company and the letter from Reed's employer?

I'm irritated and needed to vent... somewhere...

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I love, L O V E my husband...

2011-09-03T15:08:00.001-04:00

... because of the many, many wonderful things about him. But what really gets my own heart a'pumping is how he knows how to love me. He gets me. He is so patient with me. He makes sure I have what I need. He forgives and loves me in times when I know I would have difficulty with the forgiveness and love toward him. Sometimes I am confused by his ability to L O V E me the way he does.

I've been having contractions- the real ones. When they go away for a little while, I am left exhausted and feeling useless. I was resting in bed when I should've been blow drying my hair and brushing my teeth and getting dressed and ... you know, the entire woman routine of "getting ready". He was getting the kids lunch and he made me lunch too!

He served me lunch in bed as he was caring for our children and getting ready for some Irish football. I feel so gooood from my husband's love.

PS- the boys are making his day somewhat difficult with potty-training issues. It is as if Alex has completely forgotten not to "go" in his underwear- which is why he is now in pull-ups.

I love you, Reed, and for you I wish I had energy.

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Contractions

2011-09-03T01:29:00.001-04:00

Labor contractions are yuck!

I've graduated from Braxton Hicks to R E A L contractions. You know, the kind that bring forth babies!

I've never gone through labor. One might wonder how I've managed to have 2 children and never experienced labor? It is my little secret. ;-)

Seriously though, I went to the Doc yesterday because I've been experiencing frequent and consistent contractions. Come to find out (to everyone's surprise including Doc's) I'm 1 cm dialated (as of yesterday morning), 75% effaced (funny word), and Ella's head is "engaged"- she's really far down there.

We've been given the green light to "make things happen"! Doc said Labor Day is good for him. I think it is too logical to have a baby on Labor Day... really, I'm ready to go when she's ready to arrive! Bags are packed and all arrangements have been made! Can't wait!

Oh and Doc gave me an estimated, latest delivery time- 2 weeks tops! Wooo hooo!

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Mystery Gift

2011-09-01T20:18:00.001-04:00

Early this week, Ella received her 1st mailing- a beautiful gift! It is Little Yellow Chick’s “Prissy Paisley” blanket.

I LOVE IT! However, I do not know who sent this gift. Do you know? I would love to give thanks where it is due.

Thank you!

Big Baby Girl, Ella

2011-08-31T18:45:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I had my 36 week appointment. We were supposed to decide whether or not we could schedule a c-section or allow me to have a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). We’ve been tracking Ella’s growth and we were surprised to discover that she decided to give it her best and see how close she could get to her older brother’s birth weight – 10lbs. 8.6oz.

As of yesterday’s ultrasound measurements, her weight is approximately 7.5lbs. and I’m not surprised. I have at least 3 weeks to go before I can be induced. I also have at least 3 weeks to go before I can have a c-section performed. Either way, I’m not waiting longer than 39 weeks- my body is suffering these days! It is time for Ella’s grand entrance by then.

Officially, as of this upcoming Sunday, I will be full-term. She will hopefully be under 8lbs. and I plan to make every effort to offer some “encouragement” for her to be born. I don’t care that we’re not moved yet. Like I said, my body is suffering these days.

This wasn’t what I had in mind. According to her earlier measurements, she was right on track to be around 7lbs. at around 39 weeks and was looking forward to the movie-like experience where the contractions begin at home, my water breaks, and all plays out like the perfect birth experience.

I guess I have to face the fact that my babies are large and that having a vaginal delivery may never be part of my experience. Regardless, Ella is very healthy. I am very thankful for that.

Woke Up Dry

2011-08-30T09:40:00.001-04:00

Both boys woke up dry this morning and then asked if they could use the big potty. Each boy, in separate bathrooms upstairs did their morning business as if it was the normal thing. Gavin had great success by leading this effort and managing to go #1 & #2! I'm a proud Mama this morning!

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Day 7 of Potty Training

2011-08-29T13:48:00.001-04:00

I’ve developed a method to this madness. Regardless of the method, I think that potty training is probably one of the most difficult responsibilities as a parent!

I’m this far into the process and refuse to give up this time around. As time goes on, both boys seem to be getting used to going potty on their “froggy” potty chairs every 45 minutes. Yes, there have been accidents. Yes, sometimes they don’t want to sit on their froggy chairs. But they keep toughing it out and because they are willing, I will remain willing.

I know I can’t give up. Gavin is so close as he will usually go on the froggy (if not distracted) when he needs to. For Alex, this is the 3rd attempt at potty training. The first time was by his caregivers in Ukraine. It was too soon after his pull-thru surgery and because of that fact, he was very turned off by the whole experience. When I tried a 2nd attempt at his potty training (my 1st attempt with him) he was still not ready. So, I waited a few months, careful not to further upset him about the idea of using a potty instead of a diaper. So here we are, our 2nd attempt as a family (Alex’s 3rd attempt since he turned 2- he’s now 3.5) and things are going very smooth. I don’t mind living on a 45 minute timer. The boys think it is funny and run to their own froggy chair. I’m smiling because I’m not changing diapers for the moment and saving quite a bit of money each week.

Please pray that both boys will get the hang of day-time potty use in the near future. I’m so excited for them both!

How long does this process take, anyways?!?! I don’t mind the 45 minute timer thing, but when Ella makes her arrival (sometime in the next 1 to 3 weeks) I’ll be on a 2 hour nursing schedule- for a year!

Exhausted Before Ella

2011-08-26T01:38:00.001-04:00

It is difficult to take the time to think about and enjoy the impending arrival of my daughter, Ella. I remember feeling so anxious with Gavin. He was so large, which made me so large. I didn't have anyone to care for except myself so exhaustion was never an issue except in the 1st trimester. With Ella, because I'm caring for her two, very active older brothers I find myself complaining and whining (to myself) about how I again feel so large (and not in charge) and uncomfortable and EXHAUSTED!

I'm anxious for her to be here but also anxious about having my normal body and emotions back. My emotions have been a rollercoaster ride since around this time last year. I immediately started suffering from post-adoption depression and it was the biggest emotional struggle I've ever fought! I was finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel when I found out we were expecting Ella. All of a sudden I felt like I was an insane person and then the flu-like symptoms took over and I became my husband's and children's worst nightmare. Happiness seemed like something that didn't exist.

But then I hit the 2nd trimester with Ella and as soon as I was done with the progesterone supplements, the flu symptoms were gone and I discovered happy again. Life was grand!

The 2nd trimester "feeling awesome part" is short-lived with two toddler-age children. They tend to be energy and patience suckers. I now understand where gray hair comes from. I'm sorry Mom!

So now I'm nearing the end of my 3rd trimester. I'm so looking forward to Ella's presence (I need more estrogen in my house) for obvious reasons. I really can't wait for her arrival! But I will.

September 25th seems so far away! But in the grand scheme of my life's events, it is soooo close! Here is why:

-I'm potty training both boys! I DO NOT want to be regularly changing 3 sets of diapers! We're going into day 4 and have only had 2 accidents- one from each boy. I'm impressed!

-We're supposed to close on a house by the end of this month! Here is my list of To-Do's:
1) CLOSE
2) Pack everything
3) Move everything
4) Repair (another list) new house
5) Paint new house
6) Purchase and install appliances
7) Make new house liveable
8) Repair (small list) current house
9) Touch up the paint in current house
10) Pass city inspection on current house
11) Find (good) renters
This all needs to happen before Ella arrives.

Reed was supposed to be in Japan this week. Thankfully he was able to hire someone to go in his place. Unfortunately, it negatively impacted our bank account a few thousand and I can't help but think of where that money could've been used. Still, I'm thankful Reed is home and able to offer some relief from my two monkey boys.

Home school starts for Alex (Gavin will probably participate) this fall. I'm not even going to attempt until I have a good nursing schedule with Ella! I still need to order the curriculum I plan to use. Which address should it go?

Did I mention I'm on a budget for the 1st time ever?! Apparently with 2 mortgages (one of them unwanted) and 3 kids, budgets become a necessity in order to some day afford tuition and currently afford food, clothing, and gas! What an adjustment this has been to my spoiled self!

Did I also mention that I dyed my hair around 2 shades darker than my natural hair color in place of having it highlighted every 2 to 3 months?! My plan is to save time and money by frequenting the salon a lot less! Of course I also feel less attractive on top of a beached whale complex... I've outgrown most of my maternity clothes and people are staring at my belly these days.

Oh and hey, I am potty training TWO boys at the same time... I know I said this already... my brain is starting a REM cycle of its own... s-l-o-w-l-y drrriffting innn...tooo... sleep...

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Potty Training, Day 2- 2nd Attempt

2011-08-24T20:17:00.001-04:00

I 1st attempted potty training the boys a few months back. It was very clear that Alex wasn't ready. Gavin was interested but I decided that perhaps I wasn't ready. Bad combination all the way around and I didn't want to become frustrated in the process- this is one area of parenting that has given me the most stress! I couldn't tell you why.

So, here we are on the 2nd day of potty training and the 2nd attempt. So far things have gone extremely well- better than expected. We've only had one tiny accident from one of the boys. I realize this is only the beginning and more accidents are sure to come, but these 2 days have been very encouraging for this overall process. It appears that I might not have 3 kids in diapers after all!

WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!

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House Update

2011-08-24T11:44:00.001-04:00

Purchasing a home is one of the most complicated processes, especially when you have another home you can't sell. We don't want two homes- anyone want to purchase a condo that would have to be overpriced? Probably not.

Right now we are dealing with a mortgage type that is loose in some areas but strict in others. It stinks when you get so far into a process only to discover that you don't pass the required qualifications with flying colors. Of course there are amendments that can be made and letters that can be composed to correct the problem, but goodness, we're right there- within a 2 point/percentage of passing this requirement with flying colors.

So, we will sign the amendments and compose the necessary letters so that this tiny issue will go away.

Pray for Reed. He's trying to do all of this while working away from the office. At least he's not in Japan like he was supposed to be.

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Alex Quotes 8/22/11

2011-08-22T21:44:00.001-04:00

Alex doesn’t have the same appreciation for his bodily functions as Gavin. But, Alex LOVES to tell lengthy, detailed stories. I need start recording the conversations he will have with his Dad about recent adventures.

One of Alex’s recent adventures (as told in the car yesterday) was about how he caught a shark with a whale, all with his mouth. Except at some point in the story, the shark caught the whale with his mouth… I’m not really sure what all happened.

I am sure that Alex’s English is progressing very well! He IS the talker of our family!

Gavin Quotes 8/22/2011

2011-08-22T21:39:00.001-04:00

I think Gavin enjoys bathroom humor much more than me. And a little something about my personality is that I think bathroom humor is funny. My husband will shake his head at me as I usually have my face buried in my shirt trying to hide my laughter.

It sounded like an adult, but nope, it was Gavin: "Ha, ha! I barted!" He sniffs and says, "...smells great!"
We totally forgot to make him say excuse me!

“Me eat barts!” Gavin doesn’t pronounce the “f” sound. He seems very obsessed with his “barts.”

This all happened within 10 minutes.

Liliana Update

2011-08-22T13:38:00.001-04:00

The ransom money was raised! In only one day, the money needed to rescue sweet Liliana is with a non-profit account, in the whopping amount of $23,000!

That money will be disbursed to the family that has committed to her. This committed family is “paper ready” (home study and USCIS paperwork completed). This family will only have to worry about getting to Liliana as soon as possible!

Praise God for the response of many to help this little girl!

Can You Help?

2011-08-18T20:25:00.001-04:00

Can you help Liliana come home to her forever family?

Liliana is eleven years old! Yes, eleven!

This is serious. This is one of God’s children. This is unfortunately a situation that is common with special needs children in foreign orphanages. BUT, there is hope!

We are called to help the fatherless… the weak… all of God’s children, and that is what one woman is doing through her blog. She has made this situation her problem and is advocating and recruiting help for Liliana.

Please, click on Liliana’s photo above. You will be transferred to the blog to enter into some generously donated giveaways that are being used to raise funds for the family that chooses to bring Liliana home.

Giveaway Items

Two iPads
$500 Target Gift Card
$500 WalMart Gift Card
$200 Gift Card from Posh Tots
Moses Basket from Post Tots
2 Coach Purses
Five Amazon Gift Cards (one @ $75; four @ $100)
iPod Nano
Wii Band Hero
Five Kindles
Two Gift Certificates to Petite Baubles Boutique
Choice of three bracelets from Orphaned No More
Two iTunes Gift Cards (one @ $100; one @ $25)
$100 Lowes Gift Card
Pandigital Novel e-Reader
$200 Gift Card to Christian Book Distributors
Creative Memories Gift Hamper

Baby Ella

2011-08-17T11:26:00.001-04:00

We’ve officially declared our new baby’s name, Ellasyn, “Ella” for short. She will take on my middle name.

Ella and I had a doctor appointment yesterday and for only the 2nd time during this pregnancy, I was able to go by myself. Reed had the day off because he went to Toronto last weekend to help on a project. Since he had the day off, he stayed with the boys and they played outside.

I took Reed’s zippy little car to the doctor appointment and cranked up some Top 40. It wasn’t until I was in the elevator at the hospital that I spilled water all down the front of my shirt, though.

The appointment went very well. He measured my belly and it is still measuring 37 weeks, just like it was a few weeks ago. Doc didn’t measure Ella, but he looked to make sure she is still head down (she is), checked her heart rate (healthy), and also checked my level of amniotic fluid (great) because I had “sprung a leak” a few days ago. The leak stopped and all is well again.

This entire pregnancy, we’ve been aiming for a “V-BAC”, aka- Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. Gavin was so large (10 lb., 8.6oz) that my previous doctor wouldn’t allow me to try and deliver Gavin vaginally. He said the risks were higher and most likely, an emergency cesarean would have to be performed. I trusted his judgment and everything turned out fine.

Since Ella is a girl and this pregnancy has gone so differently, my new Doc and I have been charting Ella’s growth to try and determine whether or not I would be able to deliver vaginally. So far, Ella is in the normal range and is measuring a few days to only one week bigger than her gestational age. This is great news! Most likely I will be able to deliver vaginally and the Doc and I will make our final decision in 2 weeks. In 2 weeks Ella will be 36 weeks and if I she is big like her older brother, we will be scheduling a c-section delivery instead.

.I think Ella is taking after her Mommy- small (except when pregnant) and petit. Gavin, took after his Daddy’s size and was basically born the size of a 3 month old! He wore size 1 to 2 diapers as a newborn and during his stay at the hospital, nurses had to have his first onesie and blankets brought over from the pediatric unit!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

I ordered her diaper bag last week. Yesterday, I bought some baby supplies that I needed including some girl outfits and breast feeding supplies. I still have a few things to purchase, but we are almost done.

Baby stuff is EXPENSIVE!! Or maybe it was the retail store I decided to shop at. Either way, I cringed when I handed over my credit card to the cashier and we’re not finished yet!!

August, One Year Ago

2011-08-16T01:13:00.001-04:00

We’ve known Alex, officially, one year. He is such a blessing in our lives and it has been amazing to see the differences that one year in a loving home can bring! You may read about our August 2010 experiences in Ukraine, by clicking on the links below.

August 2, 2010 – Only 5 days left until we travelled to Ukraine!

August 8, 2010 – We arrived in Ukraine!

August 10, 2010 – SDA Appointment.

August 11, 2010 – Received Alex’s Referral

August 12, 2010 – Giving “Sasha” a name.

August 13, 2010 – Alex stealing my heart.

August 14, 2010 – Tour of Kyiv, Ukraine by a Hungarian friend.

August 16, 2010 – Update on our experiences.

August 18, 2010 – Two separate posts: one is about our anticipation of court and the other is about the reward of overcoming fears in adoption.

August 19, 2010 – Court!

August 21, 2010 – Downtime; non-adoption related

August 22, 2010 – Ukraine’s Independence Day preparations and Reed leaving to go back home during the 10-day waiting period after court.

August 23, 2010 – Mrs. Yellow Hat, her blog is HERE.

August 25, 2010 – A fun playtime experience with just Alex and myself.

August 26, 2010 – Photos of Alex and his sister, Deonna.

August 27, 2010 – More about Deonna.

August 29, 2010 – Orphanage photos

August 31, 2020 – 10-day waiting period is over and a video of Alex and his Daddy playing together.

Please reminisce with us. I hope to post more video for when I recount September 2010. I never posted the video of the day we picked him up from the orphanage. I would like to share that and always planned to on that day’s anniversary.

Probably… Probably Not

2011-08-11T21:52:00.001-04:00

Reed asked Gavin if he was done with his night time snack and Gavin answered, “Probabee [pause]…probabee not [long pause]… probabee yeth.”

Reed and I had a good laugh.

AVOID the news!

2011-08-11T16:53:00.001-04:00

How about a downward spiral of depression or anxiety? How about a dose of misery or anger?

These are questions I need to be asking myself before I read or listen to most news stories. Over and over again, I find myself trying to “stay current” on news topics and each time I attempt to “stay current”, I’m left feeling depressed, anxious, miserable, and/or angry!

AVOID THE NEWS, Ashley!

Avoiding the news is extremely difficult. If you don’t seek the news out from all the hundreds or thousands of resources that make the news available, surely someone will update you. “Hey! Did you hear about…?” In the past, I’ve actually stopped people from completing their attempt at being an in-person anchor man/woman because I didn’t want to walk away from that conversation feeling any of that depression, anxiety, misery, or anger. I’m fairly good at creating those feelings on my own without any outside help, ~~thank you very much~~!

Not to mention, people’s comments left after an article sometimes trigger my way-too-opinionated-shut-the-heck-up attitude to come flooding out in a reply to a comment. I don’t usually regret what I have to say, but I definitely could’ve used my time more wisely! Plus, I’m probably responding to some half-wit, brainwashed 16-year old, repeating whatever he/she has heard from some superstar, wanna-be expert on whatever-the-topic-of-conversation-is like, Matt Damon. HA!

Ashley, AVOID THE NEWS!

And this is what got me going in the 1st place- a reply to an idiotic, insensitive comment about this story as blogged about here:

http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/2011/08/as-i-sit-in-air-conditioned-comfort.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FElTI+%28It%27s+Almost+Naptime%21%21%29

Every night...

2011-08-09T23:29:00.001-04:00

... Gavin throws a little fit about going to bed. And every night if we wait long enough for him to get over his fit, we find him sleeping in the hallway right outside our bedroom door. How do we end this little bedtime problem?

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Five Years of Marriage Bliss

2011-08-04T23:55:00.001-04:00

Today, I celebrated with my husband a marriage that we committed to Christ.

Five years ago today, our family and friends gathered to witness Reed and I enter the covenant of marriage at St. Charles Catholic Church. Everything was beautiful. I couldn't have asked for anything to be better.

Fast forward to today and I can't explain how I still feel giddy about my husband. I'm totally, helplessly head-over-heals in love with my husband. I couldn't have asked for anyone better.

I'm in love. I'm happy. I'm excited about my husband. Our marriage has been blessed beyond my dreams. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Fast forward 2 days from today and I look forward to actually celebrating our anniversary. Something about Reed having to work tomorrow morning; me feeling preggo sick this afternoon; and needing a babysitter... something about combining all of those issues prevented us from literally celebrating. It is ok- it buys me some time to make/purchase Reed a card. ;-)

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Home Inspection = Success!

2011-07-30T20:39:00.001-04:00

Basically, regular maintenance & a few other minor things need corrected. Nothing is an immediate concern except for some sealant/caulking issues.

We plan to start our mortgage paperwork on Monday and pulling a 2nd title to double-check that the home doesn't have any leins, back property taxes, or other surprises attached to it. Hopefully the title is clean.

I've begun the nesting/purging/packing process. I started in our 1/2 bath downstairs and I am now in our bedroom. Before our bedroom I finished Alex's Well-Wish book and gathered everything together for the boys' memory boxes- they need bigger memory boxes! I'm taking my time packing and hopefully this will save me from being overwhelmed.

Things are going well. If this keeps up we should close in about 3 to 4 weeks, if not sooner.

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Home Inspection

2011-07-30T07:55:00.001-04:00

Our home inspection is today. This will determine the condition and hopefully reveal that this house is a good investment on our end. We are hoping & praying there are no surprises!

Wish us luck! :-)

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Alex’s Well-Wish Book

2011-07-29T13:33:00.001-04:00

It has taken me too long to complete this little project. I spent a couple hours yesterday and a couple hours today and now it is complete! I’m trying to complete all projects I’ve started, but not completed before we move. I’m trying to make moving less overwhelming by tying up all loose ends.

So, here are photos of Alex’s hard copy. Thank you everyone who participated in this wonderful keepsake!

Please go HERE to see Alex’s, completed Well-Wish Book.

Inspired

2011-07-28T16:00:00.001-04:00

The other day I began crying because I was thinking about how generous the Lord has been to my family. I was thinking about how little my problems are and how I have many great things happening in my life- this is our normal! We always have so many wonderful people surrounding us with their support and love, always! We also always have events going on in our life that are no doubt created and given to is through our Lord's great works.

There are countless times I can remember thinking, "this is too good be true..." The first time I recall having this thought was shortly we learned my mother had beat her cancer. Times after that were: after my wonderful husband proposed marriage to me... our wedding day... Reed finding a great job that is close to home (he is still at this job), right after graduating college... when I was able to come home permanently from my job in anticipation of the birth of our son... when Gavin was born and they held him up so I could see him; when I held him the first time... when we were boarding the plane for our trip to Ukraine to adopt Alex; when he let me hug him finally... expecting a baby that came as a surprise; Christ knew our thoughts and desires. He knew we were not planning to have another child for quite some time, but His will is much stronger and in approximately 8 weeks we will be blessed by a daughter! Oh what an incredible, surprise blessing!

I could go on and on about our many blessings in regards to material things, health, education, our great country, etc. There are so many people and things to give thanks for that in this moment I can't see any bad. The problems are miniscule obstacles that will undoubtedly be overcome. I'm having difficulty recalling what they even are.

I was reading another family's blog post about their own blessings and I was inspired to share mine.

"Thank you Lord, for your abundance of blessings. I pray that I can keep them in perspective and in front of me when I'm feeling overwhelmed by the little things. I pray that I keep site of you, Lord, and that I always have a thankful heart and attitude. Thank you for the big and the small and everything in between. Christ, in your blessed name I pray. Amen."

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7 Months (31 weeks)

2011-07-27T12:46:00.001-04:00

I was trying to avoid the double-chin thing by tilting my head slightly back. I’m not sure what I accomplished instead.

But here I am, 31 weeks preggo with our baby girl! I’ve outgrown many of the maternity clothes already. Is it common to get too big for maternity clothes?! Gees!

Our Offer Was Accepted!

2011-07-25T14:17:00.001-04:00

Assuming that our inspection goes well, we will become the proud owners of not one, but two properties (our current home and the new one)!

The bank accepted our offer with only 2 changes to the actual offer that we would have to accept. The first is in regards to the closing date. They moved it from August 31st to September 15th. This is kind of scary because baby is due September 25th! Yikes! But, chances are that we could still close before August 31st. The second change is in regards to a home warranty. We are being asked to waive the warranty. We didn’t know there was a warranty since this home is a foreclosure, hence the “as-is” part of the deal. So we’re a little confused about this, but our awesome realtor is looking into this for us.

We’re going to assume that these two hiccups will be easily overcome and since I’ve had a good feeling about this house ever since I first walked through it’s doors… here is our new house. We have some elbow grease to put into it, but really, that is the fun part of making a house your home.

The Exterior:

The landscaping is ok. We’ll have to work on that next summer. I’m not a big fan of the arched cut outs to the right of the front porch. There is a stone waterfall/fountain behind them and I would prefer it to be opened up. Can you put shutters on a house like this? Hmm…

Entry way/living room:

There really isn’t much to complain about with the living room and entry way. It needs cleaned and a fresh coat of paint. We could even get away with just cleaning it to move in and then taking our time painting.

Front room/dining room:

Again, just a good cleaning is all that is necessary for now.

Kitchen:

This kitchen area is about the same size as the downstairs in our current home that contains the kitchen, dining, and living rooms. Ha! We obviously need appliances. But, we’re thinking about painting this room first so that we don’t have to move appliances around later. The flooring is tile and very pretty. It looks like linoleum in the photos, thankfully it is not. The countertops are granite. There was nothing wrong with the cabinets that I could find. I looked through them all and again, a good cleaning is all that is needed.

Laundry:

The door you see here takes you out to the garage. This will probably be one of the last rooms we do anything to, besides cleaning and putting in appliances.

Master Suite:

The master bedroom needs a new coat of paint but the bathroom needs much more TLC! Can you stain tile? The pics make the walls look they’re wallpapered, but it is paint. What a relief! I will probably take my time designing this room. I will be able to tolerate it so that I can take my time in turning into my favorite space in the house.

Bedroom One:

Surprisingly, the kid’s rooms are most well-kept rooms in the entire house. We will paint eventually. Since baby will be in our room for the first 6 months or so, once again I’m going to take my time in making a beautiful space for my daughter. I’m not sure that this is the actual room we’ll put her in.

Bedroom Two:

Same thing as “bedroom one” – it is in good shape. It needs cleaned and I’ll take my time making it into an all-boy bedroom, if it is the room the boys will be in.

Main Bathroom:

A good cleaning will be needed. Other than that, I might leave this like it is for a while. I don’t mind this gray color in smaller spaces like a bathroom. It is a tad bit overwhelming throughout the rest of the house. I’ll obviously put up a shower curtain and mirror.

Basement:

The basement is so exciting!! The 1st photo is basically the finished portion of the basement. It is tiled with a linoleum, stick on tile. The walls have all been painted white. They did the frame work for the drop down ceiling, we would need to add the ceiling tiles and base boards! Awesome space for family gatherings and the kids to play in!

The second photos is also finished minus the base board and ceiling tiles. The cut out is for an aquarium. LOL But we’ll probably put Reed’s office right there. He even has an aquarium that will fit, if he wants one there.

The third photo is a very large space that was used as a gym! It has all the electrical in place to run many, many pieces of work out equipment. Since we only have a treadmill, Ab Lounge, and some weights, I suppose this space will be primarily used for storage. Too bad we didn’t have a bunch of gym equipment.

The last photo is of the door leading out to the bilco door. You open that door and the stairwell takes you up to the outside, right beside the garage.

We’re very excited! Time to start packing!

Multiple Offer Notice (Update)

2011-07-24T01:44:00.001-04:00

We received a phone call from our realtor Saturday morning. He said that we will probably not hear back until Tuesday, July 26, and that is assuming the bank that this home is in possession with is running deals in a timely fashion. It is possible to hear something by Monday… I’m good at setting my hopes up for failure.

I feel good about our offer. I feel like this is a good time to get into another home. I feel like we timed everything just right. I even feel like we’ve been pointed in this direction for quite some time. I can’t explain it, but things just feel right. (This doesn’t mean we will get the house or anything.) I just think we’ve done the best we can as far as positioning ourselves to get this house.

Multiple Offer Notice

2011-07-22T13:08:00.001-04:00

We submitted our offer last night on the house. Today we received a notice of multiple offers. This notice allows you one last opportunity to submit your best offer. We took a chance and only submitted a few thousand more. We don't want to overpay and we must stay within our means, of course. Final offers must be submitted by noon tomorrow.

As of early afternoon yesterday, the house had no offers. We figured that between yesterday afternoon and 9:00a.m. this morning only about two other offers were probably submitted besides ours; possibly only one other. We also figured that many people would offer under the asking price since this house is a foreclosure; they might have already offered their best hoping to score a good deal; or we will simply be outbid because there must be a better house out there for our family.

We offered the asking price with our original offer and almost left it at that. But we decided that by offering an amount between the original asking price and the lowered asking price might offer us a better chance at owning this home.

I'm nervous. I like this house. I have no bad feelings or issues about owning this home. I see a lot of great potential and I am very excited for the possibility of making it ours. On the other hand, I'm prepared to accept the fact that there may be a much more suitable house out there for our family.

Prayers please... I feel like a broken record these days.

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We Made an Offer

2011-07-21T22:57:00.001-04:00

We went through the “Mexican Restaurant House” or as we prefer to call it, “The Taco Bell House.” This last name came from the boys who like to answer any question with “Taco Bell”. Like, “What is your baby sister’s name going to be?” Both boys agree that Taco Bell is best. So when asked if they liked the house they both agreed, “Taco Bell!” I have strange children.

So, we made an offer on the “Taco Bell House” and we’re pretty excited! This house is sort of, over-the-top with some of it’s features. I mean, there is a stone, water fountain the height of the house just off the front porch. The kitchen is larger than my current home’s first floor! Ridiculous. But, the price is good and there are no major issues. The carpet is fine and it is actually nice. There is one stain that we’ll have to work on but we have kids, stains come with kids. We will need to paint and buy new appliances- that is it!

We worked through our offer today with our agent and it should’ve been submitted either tonight or at the latest, tomorrow morning. We’re not sure how long it will take to hear back. Our realtor told us it could take 2 days or 20 days… you just don’t know.

I keep asking for your prayers… please pray that if we’re meant to have this house, we’ll have it. Simple.