Time Flies

Sophia enjoying carrots.

Sophia playing games with mommy.

It's October already.  I can't believe it.

I looked at my last blog post and it was over 4 months ago.  I haven't forgotten about my blog, it's just that with Facebook it's easier to keep in touch with our friends and family.  Plus, I don't even know that my blog is even read by anyone anymore.  If you do happen to check my blog regularly, let me know and I will be better about updating it.

Since my last post, I have been at home, being a mommy.  Motherhood is different than I thought it would be.  The TV commercials make it out to be one thing, and you have the baby at home and it's completely different.  It's even further than the commercials if you are an adoptive parent.  All the baby books are geared toward after giving birth.  They talk about breastfeeding, post-pregnancy bodies, hormones, etc., which is expected. I do have one baby book that has one teeny section for adoptive parents.  Meh.  It would be nice if there are  any doctors/nurses/psychologists out there who are adoptive parents that would write a book about "Baby's First Year for the Adoptive Parent", or something like "So You've Adopted a Baby, Now What?", you get my drift.  I am not complaining, it's just that there are not a lot of books that I have found specifically for parents of an adopted newborn.  If anyone has any suggestions, please share!

As Mike and I wade through our first year of parenthood, we are enjoying the "firsts".  Sophia's first smile, first laugh, crawling, and the latest... her first teeth!  She will be 9 months old at the end of this month and I wonder where the time has gone.  For so many years I longed to be a mother, half my life.  It seemed like it would never happen, and shortly, my baby will be a year old.  I need to pay attention, she will be all grown up if I blink.

In other news, I am helping a friend get a non-profit organization started.  I will be on the Board of Directors.  I am very excited about that.  It is an organization geared toward helping mothers in our area.  I know it's vague, but it's still in it's infancy and we haven't quite pinned down the mission statement.

I have also changed my major in school... again.  I was going to get my degree in Graphic Design, now my major is Business Management.  It just fits.  The non-profit will be the second business that I will have helped build and it just feels natural to have a degree to back up my experience.

I have been feeling EXTREMELY homesick for California.  I have expressed my feelings to my hubby on many occasions (I am sure he is sick of hearing it).  So, we are working toward relocating back to the Mother Land.  It's going to take a bit of time, since we have to sell our house first.  This is not the market for selling.  So, we just have to hope it turns around soon.

I think I have caught my blog up to date with the "goings on" of our lives.

In case I don't see you later, Good Afternoon, Good Evening and Good Night!

We Are a Happy Family!

Our dream came true yesterday.  We have had our beautiful little girl since the day after she was born.  We have always considered her our daughter, but having it made official, in a court of law, made it real, made it permanent.

Before we went to court, my nerves were getting the best of me.  I felt sick to my stomach and my breakfast almost made a reappearance.  I just couldn't believe it was happening, but it did.

The judge was so nice, the hearing was quick and I cried as it was made official.

I finally climbed my Mt. Everest... and the view is amazing.

Has It Really Been 3 Months?

We have had our sweet girl almost 3 months now.  It has been a roller coaster ride and the biggest learning experience of my life.

I have learned:

That life isn't about me and what I want anymore.  It is about providing for our daughter and doing what is best for her.

Doing things when I want at the exact time I want is a thing of the past.  I have to schedule my life around what works best for our child.

Hot meals are a luxury.  It seems that she is hungry when I am and I have learned to like cold or reheated food.  

Showers need to be quick.  Not that I took a long time before, but now, they happen in the blink of an eye.

Patience is a necessity for motherhood.  It was necessary while waiting to become a mother and even more so now.  

Being critical of other parents was easy before I became one.  I can understand why other parents say, feel and do certain things now.  I used to silently judge them, but as much as I don't want to admit this, it was because I didn't understand. 

That no matter how frazzled or frustrated I get, her smile makes everything right again.

OH, there are so many more things that I have learned and have yet to learn.  I am looking forward to the journey.

It Finally Happened!!

My last post announced that we were chosen by a birth mother.  The Lord felt it was time to answer our prayers.  We are finally parents!!

Introducing our beautiful daughter Sophia.  She was born January 29th, 16 days early!  Our birth mother almost delivered in the car.  It was close, but they did make it to the hospital (BARELY!!).  She was born in the hallway at the hospital!

We were able to spend several hours at the hospital with our birth mother before going back to Mike's brother's house in Albuquerque.  We stayed there waiting for the relinquishment hearing that took place in Grants, NM.

We attended the hearing at the request of our birth mother.  After it was over, she handed me a letter before she left.  I sat in the hall of the court house and read the letter.  It was so beautiful.  I just sobbed.  All of the emotion that I had been holding in, waiting for this to happen came out.

We feel so blessed and humbled to have this sweet spirit in our lives.

Thank you to all of you who have supported us through this long and uphill journey to parenthood.  

The Best Gift Ever!

The day before Thanksgiving we received an email from our adoption attorney about a possible adoption situation.  There were some details that she needed to disclose to gauge our interest.  Ad after discussion and prayer, we told her we were still interested.

We put together a paper profile and she presented our profile (along with a few others) to the birth mother.  After what seemed like FOREVER, our attorney called us to let us know that the birth mother chose us!!!!!!!

So, if all works out, we will be parents in February!!!

Best.  Christmas.  Ever!