The Holiday Season = Craziness!

Life around here has sure gotten even crazier! Emma is growing like a weed, and she is ALL over the place! She crawls faster every day, which has gotten us all into some pretty big pickles! She has discovered the dog dishes (and has dumped the water on more than one occasion), the cupboards, and the tops of the tables. She pulls herself up super fast and is quick to pull things off the end table, coffee table, etc... We are learning to be faster, but she still beats us more times than we care to admit!

Her adoption was finalized on November 8th! It was such a happy day, and we had lots of friends and family there to help us celebrate! The judge was great, and we were able to get lots of pictures. They even gave us a video on CD of the hearing. That will be a wonderful way to show Emma just how much we all love her!

Emma loved her first Thanksgiving, and we loved sharing it with our family. She got her first taste of real mashed potatoes, squash, and applesauce salad. I don't think she was a huge fan of any of them, but at least she tried them!

Life is crazy, busy, and wonderful! I can't wait for Christmas and her first experience at opening presents! I'm sure she'll love the bows and wrapping paper more than the actual gift, but it will be fun for everyone!

Growing Up Faster Than We Like!

So, as you can see from the title, Emma is growing up way too fast! So much has happened in the last month! She's crawling all over the place, getting into everything of course! She's pulling herself up ALL the time too! She was standing up at her musical toy by the TV today, reaching for whatever she can get her hands on! Then she crawled over and stood up at the coffee table for a while. Sunday night she started bear crawling--pushing up on her arms and straightening her legs and walking. She has a great desire to go everywhere, which tells me we are in BIG trouble! LOL! My prediction is that she'll be walking by Christmas, but I hope I'm very wrong about that! She continues to surprise us, so who knows! She has two teeth on the bottom, and I'm fairly certain she's working on some more given her stuffy nose, rashy face, and sleepless nights. We shall see!

We had our last meeting with Bethany before requesting finalization on the adoption. The paperwork was turned in for that, and we're set to finalize on November 8th! We are so excited to celebrate Emma's "Gotcha Day!" It still seems surreal that she's ours. She has changed our lives so drastically, and we love every moment! We can't imagine life without her!

We got to see her birth grandparents and sister last night for Halloween. They brought her a very nice bag full of treats, a book, and a new bib with wrist rattle. She loved it all, though I think we'll be enjoying her treats this year! Yum!

Life is good, though very busy. We are blessed and thankful for what God has given us. I hope that my delay in posting on here just means I'm enjoying every single moment with our baby girl. Our daughter. Our Emma!

This Girl Keeps Growing!

So, I'm going to keep this short because I'm supposed to be in bed right now. It's way past my bedtime, but so much has happened with our little Emma in the past month! She's now 6 months old, and she can do a TON of things! She can sit up all on her own with great confidence. She's taking her baths in the big tub now and loving everything about it--even the splashing water in her face! Emma can rock on her knees, propel herself toward a toy, and started crawling yesterday! She's really figuring out how to get around, and she's not happy being "tied down" in her activity center anymore! This makes getting dinner ready quite interesting! She's very close to being able to get into a seated position from laying down. She just has to figure out how to move her arm and lift herself up. She's SO close!

As of her 6 month check-up she's 18 pounds (hello chunky monkey!) and 25 1/2 inches long. She's very healthy and has her two bottom teeth coming in right now. We are amazed every day at the things she can do and all she's figuring out. We love her to pieces and can't wait to see what she'll do for us tomorrow!

Changes, Changes!

Well, I go back to school tomorrow. I am incredibly sad. I knew it was coming. I was preparing for it. It has hit me like a brick in the face. I know it will be fine, but I'm sad to know that my time with Emma won't be as long as I would like it to be. I know she's in wonderful hands, and I know she will love her time with her Grandmas and daycare provider. It still makes me sad.

On a happier note, here are a few things that have happened since I blogged last!

• Emma was baptized on August 28th! She looked beautiful, and Kim and Tino were proud sponsors. It was a lovely day, and she did great! I think she knew it was her very special day!
• She is sitting up pretty much on her own. She can right herself as long as she doesn't tip too far. Today, she sat up while I played through a piano song. She "talked" to Eddie the entire time!
• She also started getting up on her knees and rocking back and forth. She wants to move so badly! In fact, she gets a bit impatient when she can't get to where she wants to go. And she isn't always happy laying down and rolling around. She wants to sit up and take it all in! I think we're in trouble!
• Her hair is growing back in finally! She has adorable peach-fuzz that tickles my nose!
• She has a pretty large cowlick right in the front that will showcase my lack of hairstyling abilities very soon! Right now, though, it's adorable!

I think that's it for now! I have to get to bed if I don't want to be a zombie for the kiddos tomorrow! Wish me luck!

First Danish Festival

Emma attended her first Danish Festival weekend! Despite messing up her nap schedule, she did very well. She seemed to like all the activities, and it was great to introduce her to friends and family who hadn't met her yet. Friday was so busy! We walked downtown, looking at the arts of crafts, watched the kiddie parade, and finally made it home for a bath and bedtime. She didn't sleep great that night; either it was too much sun and excitement or something else was bothering her. Saturday we watched the big parade! She hated the sirens and hot air balloon float. She screamed during the sirens and gave the "stinky-eye" to the balloons. Grammie got her calmed down, though, and she even managed to squeak in a nap! Finally we hung out with family and enjoyed a nice lunch. She was pooped out by the time we made it home, but we relaxed on Sunday!

I do enjoy the festival. It's busy and crowded, but it's another tradition I love and want to share with Emma. It's a time for family and friends, and I want her to cherish the times we have together. I know she'll be sitting on the curb next year with all her little cousins, chasing after candy! It should be fun!

Almost 5 Months!

It's been almost 5 months since we welcomed Miss Emma Jayne into our lives. I can't believe how the time has flown! I've been scrapbooking with my friend, Kim, and it's crazy to look at the pictures from when we first brought her home. We are so blessed. I know every parent treasures their child and thinks of him/her as a blessing. However, without the selfless act of our birth mom, this would never be our life now. I am reminded of this daily when I look at Emma, and I hope I never forget how God played a part in putting us together. We met some of our birth mom's extended family at a reunion a couple weeks back. It was overwhelming but wonderful to meet everyone! They loved seeing Emma!

Emma is sitting up pretty well, though not completely straight. She wants to do it so badly, and she gets frustrated with laying down. She is rolling all over the place and is quickly learning that it's a very effective form of transportation! I swear you look at her one minute and the next she's halfway across the room! Tomorrow we are doing some more baby-proofing! She's trying to hold her bottle on her own and can do a pretty good job of that too. I don't think she's going to be a "watcher." She's going to be a "doer." I love that about her, but it scares me a bit too!

Emma is taking more of an interest in the dogs, much to their dismay, and she actively tries to get their ears and tails. They really aren't sure what to make of this, but it doesn't keep Eddie from laying next to her on occasion.

This is our last full week of "freedom." I go to my room to work most of next week, then I have to report the following week. School starts the week after that. I am dreading it, but I know it's going to come whether I like it or not! I guess it'll take some getting used to, but we'll manage somehow! Say a little prayer for us!

Emma is Four Months Old!

I know it's been a while since I posted anything. July is such a busy month for us with family vacations and such. We had a wonderful time in Alpena! Emma did great, and we got tons of adorable pictures. My sister-in-law, Katie, took some family pics. I don't know how I'm going to choose which ones to put on the wall! They all turned out beautifully! Mike didn't get to go to Robinson Lake this year, but Emma and I went anyway. It was a nice week--extremely hot--but it just wasn't the same without Mike. He came up at the end of the week, and we were both happy to see him!

We found out a few things about Emma during vacation:
1. She rides pretty well in the car.
2. She gets tired of sleeping in her pack and play by the 2nd week.
3. She loves spending time with family!
4. She's going to be a complete and total water baby! Swimming lessons may be in her near future!

Emma had her 4 month check-up this week too! She weights 15 pounds 14 ounces (the 90th percentile)! What a chunk! She's only 24 inches long, which puts her in the 50th percentile for height. She's healthy and happy and meeting her milestones! She got 2 shots and was done crying by the time we left the room. She was so good, and she enjoyed a nice long nap when we got home.

We were given the ok to start trying foods, so she's getting more rice cereal and green beans this week. I think she's starting to like them!

The countdown to going back to work has started. I'm trying to prepare myself, but I know it's going to be horribly difficult. She loves her daycare, which helps, but I still am going to miss our time together. I'll probably start wishing for snow days the first week of school!

Emma is 3 Months Old!

I'm not sure where the past 3 months have gone! Emma has grown so much, and she can do so many wonderful things! She rolled over on accident the other night, and it surprised her as much as it did us! She is the light of our lives, and she has definitely touched many lives besides ours.

Today is the 2nd anniversary of losing dad, and it has been a very sad day for me. I look at Emma and think about all the things he would have loved about her. I think of the songs he would have sung, the faces he would have made, and the silly voices he would have created just to get a smile. He would have taught her so many things, and he would have loved every moment with her. I feel a bit robbed today I guess. Mike and I tried for so many years to have a baby--to be the parents we dreamed of being. Dad was always there to support us and listen to us cry. He was confident that we would see that dream come true, and he always believed we would have a baby girl. I think that was his dream for us.

So now my job as a mommy is a little bit bigger. It's my job to make the silly voices and faces. I will sing the Playmate song to her as many times as she wants. I will cherish every moment, and I will tell her all about her Grandpa. It won't be the same as actually knowing him, but it will have to do for now.

Happy 3 month birthday Emma Jayne! We all love you so much, and we look forward to many more exciting months and years with you as our little girl!

Emma is Growing Fast!

Our little Emma is growing so fast! I have always said that I love every stage of infant development, and that's the truth. I love to see the new things she can do every day! There are some days, though, that I miss those first weeks home. I feel like I don't remember anything because it was so new and crazy! I was exhausted and nervous and scared that the birth mom would change her mind. I know I was attached to Emma the moment she was born, but it was still so scary. Luckily, we are past that now. We continue our wonderful relationship with Emma's birth family, and she is ours.

She is quickly moving into her 3-6 month clothes--her toes stretch the limits of her 0-3 month sleepers! She can hold her head up like a pro, and she loves to "stand" on everybody's laps! Today we ran some errands, and she was so happy to see her "friend" in her mirror. It was adorable! In fact, she really had a good time with her crib mirror while playing on the floor today. I think she's finally seeing the joy of looking at herself even if she doesn't know who that adorable baby is yet! She's sucking on her hands like a maniac! Did I mention she gave herself a little bruise on her arm from sucking on it so hard! Crazy girl!

She is so happy. All the time. She smiles and makes all sorts of noises. She is an absolute joy, and I am lucky to be her mommy!

Moving into June

What a lovely few weeks! The weather has been nice, though sometimes a bit warm for my taste, and Emma has been able to spend time with her Aunt Amy and her Grammy! She is sleeping through the night really well now! I feel quite spoiled! She usually goes down between 9 and 10, though tonight she was out by 8! Most days she sleeps until 6am, but she has had a few 7am mornings. I'm not sure how long she will sleep tonight. She had such fun with Grammy that she was completely exhausted! She was hungry but too tired to eat. She would fall asleep and then wake up crying before falling right back asleep. That's what fresh air will do to a baby!

She had her 2 month check-up and is growing wonderfully! She's 12 pounds 3 ounces and 22 inches long! The doctor says she looks great! She had to get 3 shots, which made her cry her first real tears. It broke my heart, but I held it together! We spent a lot of time snuggling after that!

She is focusing more on her toys as well as faces. My mom noticed today that she focuses on faces of stuffed animals too. She was completely enthralled with the face on her froggy bag. She has been sucking on her hands and arms a lot lately. In fact, she gave herself a bruise yesterday from sucking so hard on her forearm! Silly girl! She is grasping toys a bit and even pulled her teething ring to her mouth. I have a feeling we'll see her first tooth in the next month or two, but we shall see!

Mike has to go back to work in another week. I think he's dreading it. I feel bad, but I know we will still have a great summer. He gets out early enough that we can still do things in the afternoon and evening. We went to visit with Emma's daycare provider last night. She is wonderful, and I know Emma will love it there! She starts going once a week on the 14th of this month. Thankfully, my friend Kim is taking her girls the same day! She can distract me from my sadness! :)

I love to watch Emma change and grow every day. I am amazed at the things she learns and how quickly it happens! I've always spent time around children, but I've never had the chance to watch a baby every day. It is truly a miracle! I never get sick of looking at her, which is why only one room has been dusted in the past few weeks! Ah well. Dust comes back. These moments with Emma won't. It's precious while it lasts, and I want to take advantage of every moment.

Where Does the Time Go?

So, I am horribly behind with my blog! Time flies so fast! A lot has happened in the last month! Emma celebrated her first Easter. We had a great time with mom, Rohn, Katie, and Kadence. Church was lovely, and everyone enjoyed meeting her! She got some nice things from the Easter Bunny, including toys and bathing suits in preparation for warmer weather!

Mother's Day was very special. I have waited a long time to celebrate this holiday. So many years came and went with many tears and heartache. This year I could spend the day rejoicing in the miracle that is Emma Jayne! We went to Mike's cousin's house in the morning and had a lovely time. In the evening, mom, Mike's parents, Mike's brother, and Emma's birth family came for dinner. We had brats on the grill and enjoyed each other's company! Some may think it's crazy that we did this, but I really think it was special. Emma is a lucky girl, and this was evident in how well everyone got along! It was like we had known each other forever! I got a lovely necklace from Emma, which I will treasure forever. I also got a card from Emma's birth mom, and flowers from her birth family. I feel so blessed!

Emma has learned lots of things in the past month! She is holding her head up like a champ and can even lift it when she's on her tummy. She smiles all the time and is amazed by everything! We have an infant to toddler rocker that she loves to sit in while I'm doing things around the house! She's figuring out that the toys move when she kicks her legs, so she kicks like crazy! She smiles wide when she sees those toys swing! She started sleeping through the night about a week ago, which was nice, but I kind of miss our time together in the middle of the night. I know people think I'm crazy, but it was special. Just our time to talk, cuddle, and sing. But I'm enjoying the extra sleep too! She also moved into her crib! Mike had a very hard time letting go of the bassinet, but she obviously needed to move more! She wiggled herself all over the place the first night! And her legs were hanging out of the bars in her 4th night!

Mike's family threw us a shower this past weekend. We got so many nice things! Everybody loved meeting her, and she looked adorable in her party dress! She was such a trooper! Lots of the things we got will entertain her as she gets older, which I love! She got a new car seat, a highchair that straps to a table chair, and a really cool toy that can be pushed around when she's walking!

Don't get me wrong, I don't want her to grow up too fast, and I feel sad when I see how much she has grown already, but I am enjoying every moment! I look forward to all the moments she will experience, and I feel so lucky to know that we will get to experience them with her! I can't explain the joy I feel every day when I see her. It's like each morning is a new reminder of what we have been given. It's like Christmas morning every morning! I don't know if every new mom feels like this; I certainly hope so! It's the best feeling in the world!

Now to prepare for tomorrow. She has her 2 month doctor's appointment. I am excited to see how much she has grown, but I'm not looking forward to her shots! Yikes!

Emma is One Month Old!

We made it! Emma is now 4 weeks old. I think she's not "technically" one month until the 23rd, but I find the calculation of infant ages to be somewhat confusing. :) So, I'm saying she's a month old! She has had a very eventful week. Aunt Amy came to visit, which was wonderful! We went to visit the students and staff at school--they were SO excited! We also visited mom at her office, which was a lot of fun. We went back to Greenville at the end of the week for my cooking club and a spa party! She spent her first night at Grandma's house, but it was a bit rough. She didn't like the pack-n-play one bit, so we had to hold her to get her to sleep! It wasn't until Friday morning that we figured out she would sleep in her carseat. So, we got a bit of sleep.

Emma went to the doctor for her check-up on Monday. She now weights 8 pounds 15 ounces and is 20 1/2 inches long! No wonder she wants to eat all the time! She's gained over 2 pounds in her first month of life! She is very healthy, and the doctor said she's doing great! Next time she'll have to get some shots. Boo!

We are loving every minute. I know I keep saying it, but it really is wonderful! We are slowly figuring out what her cries mean and what to do to soothe her. It's so exhausting but so rewarding too! She's holding her head up more, starting to smile, and even coo a bit. Things change so much every day, and we are SO fortunate to be going through every step! We are still so amazed that we have her here with us. Sometimes I start crying when I look at her. Isn't that weird? I just get so overwhelmed with emotions. We tried for so long! And now she's here. And we absolutely adore her!

Things are going well with the birth mom and her family. We went and had dinner this past Sunday and ended up staying there for 7 hours! We looked at old baby pictures, talked, laughed, and had a great time! We are all looking forward to the court date on the 26th. It will make things official and a bit easier to move on. Only a few more days!

Settling into a Routine

Well, I think we're getting into somewhat of a routine. Emma is doing very well, eating about every 3-4 hours. She mostly only cries when she's hungry and rarely fusses, but she has been a bit fussy the past day or so. We've been experimenting with different bottles because we felt that the ones we started her on were causing her to take on too much air. I have no idea. I find it a bit frustrating, but at least she's doing well with the formula! We are learning more about her every day, and I hope that she is getting to know us as well. Emma loves to have people sing to her, so I do that a lot! Sometimes she just screams above me, but I think she can still hear me!

We found out yesterday that the birth father changed his mind and signed off on his parental rights. We are so thankful! This means we won't need a lawyer at the hearing on the 26th, and the process should go a lot smoother now that he is being cooperative. He wants to see her, but we are waiting until the hearing is finished. We're still a bit nervous, but we are hopeful that the relationships we have built with the birth mom and her family will continue to strengthen. We have seen her twice since we have been home, which is a bit scary, but we pray that seeing her with us will only confirm that this was the right decision. My hope is that we will be a positive influence for her, that we might be able to have an impact on more than one life through this process. She's a great girl, full of promise. She deserves great things out of life, and I want to make sure she hears that from everyone, including us.

Emma and I went for a walk today with my mother-in-law. It was such a beautiful day with the sun shining, but it was still a bit chilly. We bundled Emma up and were on our way. She loved it, but she got a bit ticked when she got too warm! Apparently a onesie, fleece pants and jacket, hat, and two blankets were a bit much for her! Hah! She was much happier once we unwrapped her a bit!

I look forward to every day with our Emma Jayne. We are so blessed, and I can't wait to see what the future brings!

Emma is Here!

Well, we made it through the week last week. There's so much to tell, but I won't bore you with it all right now. The important thing is that Emma Jayne is here. She was born March 23rd at 5:58pm, and she is perfect. We love her more than we could have imagined, and we can't dream of life without her! She is a great baby, and we are honored that our birth mom chose us. Our court date for termination is April 26th, which seems so far away. We are confident that everything will go fine, but it's still a scary time. Please say a prayer for our family and for the birth mom's family. Hopefully I can keep up with posts and pictures!

The Big Day!

Well, tomorrow is the big day! I can hardly believe it's here already! I was eating lunch today at school when my stomach started doing flip-flops, and my hands started shaking! I haven't smiled this much in a long time! My face hurt by the end of the day! I will miss my students, but I can hardly wait to see our little girl. Eventually the little voice in the back of my mind will quiet down and not wonder, "What if...." anymore. It's still so scary because it seems almost impossible that someone we don't really know would give us the most precious gift.

By this time tomorrow we might just be parents. Or at least very close to it! Hard to believe!

The Final Days!

We are down to the final days! Our birth mom goes into the hospital Tuesday evening and will be induced Wednesday morning. I am officially done with school Tuesday, and Mike and I will go up to the hospital sometime Wednesday morning. I think the nerves really are setting in for both of us.

I'm trying to get some cleaning done, but there's so much school work to do too! I feel a bit guilty for being gone the rest of the school year, so I"m trying to get all my ducks in a row before I leave. I know I will forget something, and I hate the thought of that! People tell us to enjoy our time together while it lasts, but there's so much to do! I know it will all come together. And after Wednesday certain things just won't seem important anymore.

Mostly, I think I'm nervous. I'm nervous about whether our birth mom will actually be able to go through with it. I'm nervous about the birth father and the stress he's putting on everyone. I'm nervous about being a good mom. I'm nervous about dividing my time between baby, hubby, and work.

I'm also excited though! I can't wait to see her little face, and I can't wait to finally hold onto our daughter. I'm also pretty excited to see Mike's face and watch him fall in love with her. Only a few more days!

Emotional Times

Some days I think I'm going to get sick from all these rollercoaster rides! We heard from our caseworker this week that the birth father refused to sign off his parental rights. He was apparently a very different person than when they first started seeing him. The birth parent counselor was very honest with him, saying that lots of stuff would be brought up in court that would shed a negative light on him. He just didn't want to hear it. He even admitted that he was doing all this mostly for himself, not the baby. How selfish! We are being very proactive, however, and are gathering information for the lawyer that Bethany hired for us. He will represent us at all hearings and will be able to get the judge's ear. We are saying our prayers that all will go fine and that we will be able to keep Baby Emma in our home forever.

On a positive note, again on the rollercoaster ride, I am going to another ultrasound with our birth mom today! I can't wait to see our little girl's face, and I hope she is more cooperative than last time! We will also meet with the doctor and find out how the birth mom is progressing toward her due date. So many exciting and emotional times that are all part of Emma's story!

First Post

So I decided to start a blog, but I really have no idea what I'm doing! I thought it might be nice to have a place to tell our past story and our future story as it unfolds. Our past includes many ups and downs with infertility. Our future now involves a wonderful birth mom who has chosen us to adopt her baby girl who is due April 1st. The world of adoption is new and a bit scary for us, but I look forward to the challenges! I can't wait to be a mom, and I can't wait for Mike to be a dad!

I hope this blog keeps our families updated on news in our ever-changing world, and I hope to use is as a tool to reach out to other families created by adoption. Thanks for reading!