Hot Off The Press

You'd think we would learn...but no. I started a DVD for our adoption profile back in August. It took me forever to complete. Not because it was terribly hard, just that it took me awhile, quite awhile, to find some direction with it. So a few weeks ago, I finished it (or so I thought). I was about to send in the copies the next day when we got a call to be profiled. I kicked myself for dragging my feet with it. Well then come to find out...there were some changes we needed to make anyway. In the meantime I have also been busy updating our profile. Well I finished it on Sunday, but was waiting for the DVD to send it. And lo and behold, we get another call TODAY to be profiled. This time, not only do they not have the DVD, but they don't have the new profile either....ARGH!!! So tonight I hurried off to the printer to make copies of the profile, finished making the changes to the video and burned all the DVDs. I swear, come hail, wind, sleet, rain (or in Rochester's case-snow)....I WILL mail these out tomorrow if it kills me. I know we are too late for this profilng. But I refuse to miss another opportunity with the next. Here's hoping!!!

1st day of Preschool

More preschool pics can be found on Shutterfly.

Nanie & Popie

Thursday was a pretty difficult day. It was Alex's last at my grandparents. They have had her daily since she was 8 weeks old. For the past four and a half years their lives have revolved around this little miracle we call Alex. I could never thank them for what they have done. Watching her was never a chore. To them it was a priveledge. The highlight of their week. I alway knew she was in the best of hands. They were the same ones that took care of me when I was a child. So on Thursday, her last day there, I barely made it to the car. And then the tears came. This chapter has ended.

Off the Waiting List

I received a call with great news today. Something we have been hoping for. Alex made it off the waiting list for the Autumn Lane preschool program! Since we moved to the district too late to have her start in September, she has been on a waiting list. I had little hope she would make it in this school year. But she did!

This is such great news for her. She has really missed being involved in a program. She misses the kids and activities. She is so ready fo this. It is 5 days a week (mornings) and will be a great transition into all day kindergarden in the Fall. This also means that mom doesn't have to drive to Nanie's each morning in Webster...which will save me nearly an hour commute in the morning and again in the afternoon. Just think of all the gas we'll save!

The only downfall is that she will be leaving Nanie's (my grandmothers) where she has been since she was 8 weeks old. She is my grandparents' lives and although this is going to kill them...they know that this is a very good thing for Alex.

So tonight we went out backpack shopping. She didn't find what she wanted and was really hoping for Scooby Doo backpack. And thanks to Amazon, this one will arrive in a few days along with the matching lunch bag.

Not Chosen

I just got the call. We were not selected. At least I know and that feels better than not knowing at all.

My Daughter the Groupie

Daddy surprised Alex with High School Musical on Ice tickets yesterday. She was so incredibly excited! I had no idea she was so into them, but apparently having an older cousin will do that. When the show actually started, we were shocked at her reaction. Even Kaitlin was taken by surprise. Alex totally fliped out. By far the biggest reaction she has had to anything. Screaming. Jumping. Clapping. Laughing. And arms raised high in the air. Like she just could not possibly contain the excitement no matter how hard she tried!

The show was adorable and the girls had such a nice time!

0 to 60

Like I said. It's a ride! Yesterday we were at zero and today, 60.

I talked to our case worker yesterday afternoon and I mentioned about only being profiled once. Then today we get a call...not THE call...but A call. Our first call actually since the last case we didn't know about until after the fact. So here I am. Stomach in knots. Hands shaking. Head spinning.

The case is a great one. And my heart jumped when she said the birthmom lives in Tennessee. Shawn and I both have this unexplainable draw to TN. We went for the first time in 2004 and fell head over heels for the area. So we returned in 2005 and 2006. We even went as far as considering relocating there!

So now we just wait. And I won't even kid myself about this one. I want it and I want it bad! But it is out of my hands. I realize there are a lot of families being profiled and a lot of families hoping and praying for the same thing. So I just pray that I don't crash too hard.

Here's hoping!

All Aboard

A friend of mine likened this journey to a roller coaster ride. And that it is. The entire adoption experience is filled with extreme highs and extreme lows, unpredictable twists and turns, valleys and peaks. The highest of hills can quickly turn into the steepest and fastest plummet back down again. But in the end, it is certain to be a ride of a lifetime. And for many, they can't get back in line quick enough.

And then there was me. It took me awhile to decided if we even wanted to embark on this journey again. Although the end result for us was the greatest blessing of our lives....the road was not easy. I wasn't sure if I wanted to expose myself, and my family, to another ride. But here we are.

It has been 5 months and to my knowledge we have only been profiled by our agency one time. So we have decided to board the Mother of all roller coasters....Private Adoption. And yesterday I took several of the first steps. Placing ads.

Today marked the first day our ads were run in newspapers in Knoxville, TN. And tomorrow they start in Albany, NY and Allentown, PA. We also have our online profile posted in numerous places. I am nervous beyond belief! But there is no turning back. I am going to embrace this ride and can't wait to see what lies ahead. So let the phone start ringing!!!

Welcome Baby Nate

Well we finally made it over to see Baby Nate!

Congratulations to our dear friends Jodie and Brent!!! Nathaniel's homecoming has sure been a long road. And we are so glad he is finally home!

Born 15 weeks premature and just over one pound, Nate has certainly had his share of struggles. But he is a proven trooper....and like Brent and Jodie's other children, is thriving in their care.

Welcome home Nate!

Sweet and Sassy

We found an adorable little girls salon while in Ohio. Alex loved having a mini makeover. So we looked for one back home and found Sweet and Sassy in Pittsford. So we took Alex and Gabi this afternoon, and they had a blast! Not sure who is the Sweet and who is the Sassy...probably both a bit of each :-)

Tell Me Again About When I Was Born....

This has been a year of increased understanding for Alex and her adoption story. As I have shared previously, we had the priveledge of meeting Alex's birthfather back in June. This opened up numerous opportunities to talk about Alex's story with her and also for her to ask questions. Some of the conversations we've had have been predictable, and others have left me nearly speechless, grasping for the right words.

For some reason, the topic most often comes up in the car. Perhaps it is that we just recently had another wonderful visit with her birthdad, "P"...but she started talking about adoption again today. So I went on to tell her about when she was born and that she was born in a hospital in Buffalo and that is where she came out of her birthmom's tummy. She then exclaimed that she did NOT grow in her birthmom's tummy....but in P's!!!! It was quite funny as I thought she had a clearer idea of where babies grew. But nope, she wasn't hearing any of it at first. It was P and that was that. It is actually sweet though to see the trust that she has built with P. Although she did not grow in his tummy, she does know that there is a very significant connection there and values the part he played and continues to play in her birth/life. And that is what open adoption is all about. Her being secure in who she is and her relationships with us and her birth parent(s).

The next part of the conversation was about how she "got out". She said, "So L's tummy got bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger until it finally exploded and I came out?" Ok, so I may not be ready for that whole explanation, but I did get a good laugh.

And my niece is also somewhat confused as well. This weekend she wanted to know who her birthmom and birthdad were. Amy told her that she was both her birthmom and her regular mom. So she said, then who is my mom like Aunt Sue is to Alex? Poor kid. She also has been known to tell people she is adopted. She just wants to be like her cousin Alex I guess. Too sweet!