Well Baby Girl today is your birth day!! You are here and we couldn’t be more excited! We have been waiting for this day for a very long time and are filled with anticipation, love, joy and peace. It is 2:30am October 16th (so you were actually born yesterday) and there is no way I am going to be able to sleep tonight. I can’t stop thinking about you. I can’t stop thinking about the day when you come home and I can’t stop imagining us cuddling for the first time. I have loved you since before you were born and that love continues to grow with every passing minute.
This morning Daddy and I woke up early to head off to the passport office. We dropped Jacob off at Nana’s Lesley and Papa Nigel’s and were enroute to the office when we got a phone call from Ava our social worker. Ava explained that Alison your tummy mummy had visited the emergency room this morning, as she believed she was 7 days overdue and still wasn’t feeling any signs of labour. Alison had an ultrasound and dr’s saw you warm and comfy in her belly, but saw no signs of you coming out anytime soon. They decided it was best to schedule a c-section for later in the evening. Alison had asked that the social worker call Mummy and Daddy and let us know that today would be your birthday. Ava explained that we probably wouldn’t hear any updates until the following day as it was believed the csec would be later in the evening. Mummy and Daddy quickly began calling Nana’s. Papa’s, Auntie’s and Uncles. We had plans on telling everyone in person, but mummy was too excited and wanted to tell the world immediately. From the moment we found out that you would be born we began praying. Praying for a safe and health delivery for both you and Alison, as well for all the doctor’s and nurses who would be caring for you both. After making all of our phone calls, we received another phone call from Ava stating the csec was scheduled for 7:30pm est! We didn’t expect this phone call so were so excited to receive any update. Ava said that Alison was doing well, she was a bit nervous about the csec, but was pleased with how nice and compassionate her nurses were. It was then agreed that Ava would call us in the morning with more details and letting us know our little girl was born. BUT at 8:45pm est we received a phone stating that you were born and weighed 6lbs 14 oz. Alison was feeling great and said that the csec went very well. Alison asked that Ava call Mummy and Daddy to let them know you were strong and healthy. And it was at the moment my heart grew tenfold, you hold a piece of my heart and will forever. I love you my baby girl. We are a forever family and NOTHING will ever change that.
Tomorrow morning Ava is going to meet you for the first time and we can’t wait to hear more about you. I want to know every detail; the color of your hair, the color of your eyes, they way squirm when getting a diaper change, the way you hold your head when you sleep. I want to know it all!
Well baby we are so close to being together… a moment will not go by when I don’t think about you. Sleep tight and rest in the arms of Our Father and know that your Mummy and Daddy are coming soon.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
So we are on the home stretch and we are sooooo ready! Only 3 days until due day and yet the reality of it feels like a lifetime. It’s hard to believe that we will soon be a family FOUR!! We received a phone call from our social worker on Friday and she said that Allison is doing well, she has dropped and looks like she is going to pop. Her OB appointment last week was cancelled due to a tropical storm warning, but is hoping to see her doc tomorrow, or Tuesday. We have finally figured out all travel arrangements all we have to do now is make the bookings once we have a hearing date. And all paper work that can be done prior to the birth is complete and submitted!! So all we have to do now is wait and waiting is tough!
Well my precious one, your mummy, daddy and brother are ready for you to come home. Our hearts are filled with love, our souls joy and minds excitement as we wait for your arrival. We pray that your entrance into this amazing world is quick (for the sake of your tummy mummy), peaceful and filled with delight. Know that we love you and are coming to meet you very soon. I can’t wait to hold your hand and guide you through your life long journey.
Loving you Always and Forever
Well my precious one, your mummy, daddy and brother are ready for you to come home. Our hearts are filled with love, our souls joy and minds excitement as we wait for your arrival. We pray that your entrance into this amazing world is quick (for the sake of your tummy mummy), peaceful and filled with delight. Know that we love you and are coming to meet you very soon. I can’t wait to hold your hand and guide you through your life long journey.
Loving you Always and Forever
Friday, September 24, 2010
Well we have shopped till we dropped, filled out forms until our fingers went numb, cleaned playpen, carseat, and stroller and I think we are almost ready.
The past two weeks have been a bit hectic to say the least, many of you know not only are we “expecting” but we are also in the midst of building a new home. Back when we started these journeys we all joked that both would take place at the same time and wadda ya know, baby’s due date is Oct 7th and closing date is Oct 28th and with us possibly being out of the country for up to three weeks both overlap. But both are AMAZING blessings so we will take both in stride.
So many people have asked what the next few weeks will like, so I thought it may be helpful to all to go over the limited information that we do know and what we can expect.
We will first get a phone call stating Allison (Birth Mom) is in labour and then again when baby is born. Once baby is born mom has 48 hours to sign consent, and the papers are then filed with the courts. When the papers are filed, our lawyer will be given a court date for our emergency hearing which normally is within 7-10 days. Once we have a court date we will then make arrangements to travel down to Florida arriving the night prior. Once the hearing has taken place we get meet our baby girl and bring her “home” to the hotel. It is our understanding that we are then able to leave Florida, but must remain in the US until all paperwork has been received and approved by Victoria. Our plan is to do this waiting in birch bay, allowing us to be closer to home as well have Jacob stay with us and be a family of four.
Though this process seems relatively easy we all know there is nothing smooth or easy with adoption, there is always bumps in the road and quick detours.
Stay tuned as on Monday we get an update on Allison’s last OB appointment!!
Well little girl you will soon be welcomed into this world… and I can hardley wait! I am trying to be patient but it is really tough. Feel free to come anytime now. I can’t wait for that first time our eyes meet, and hold you so tightly in my arms. We love you and praying for you daily.
The past two weeks have been a bit hectic to say the least, many of you know not only are we “expecting” but we are also in the midst of building a new home. Back when we started these journeys we all joked that both would take place at the same time and wadda ya know, baby’s due date is Oct 7th and closing date is Oct 28th and with us possibly being out of the country for up to three weeks both overlap. But both are AMAZING blessings so we will take both in stride.
So many people have asked what the next few weeks will like, so I thought it may be helpful to all to go over the limited information that we do know and what we can expect.
We will first get a phone call stating Allison (Birth Mom) is in labour and then again when baby is born. Once baby is born mom has 48 hours to sign consent, and the papers are then filed with the courts. When the papers are filed, our lawyer will be given a court date for our emergency hearing which normally is within 7-10 days. Once we have a court date we will then make arrangements to travel down to Florida arriving the night prior. Once the hearing has taken place we get meet our baby girl and bring her “home” to the hotel. It is our understanding that we are then able to leave Florida, but must remain in the US until all paperwork has been received and approved by Victoria. Our plan is to do this waiting in birch bay, allowing us to be closer to home as well have Jacob stay with us and be a family of four.
Though this process seems relatively easy we all know there is nothing smooth or easy with adoption, there is always bumps in the road and quick detours.
Stay tuned as on Monday we get an update on Allison’s last OB appointment!!
Well little girl you will soon be welcomed into this world… and I can hardley wait! I am trying to be patient but it is really tough. Feel free to come anytime now. I can’t wait for that first time our eyes meet, and hold you so tightly in my arms. We love you and praying for you daily.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Patience is a Virtue
It is with great joy and excitement that we announce we were recently chosen by a birth mother. We have faith and peace that our baby GIRL will be joining our family very soon. Last Wednesday morning, we received a phone call from our social worker in Florida explaining that our profile had been chosen by another birth mother who’s due date is OCTOBER 7th! The were no risk factors and have full reason to believe that both tummy mummy and baby girl are healthy. We received copies of the ultra sound reports and baby was measuring one week ahead and all measurements were within normal range.
This all seems surreal, we have feelings of excitement and elation as well strong feelings of fear. BUT a wise sister-in-law of mine reminded that we have the ability to choose our thoughts and reactions. So with that piece of advice and with faith in our Heavenly Father we are jumping in with both feet. A lot of PINK has been purchased, our travel bags are packed and we anxiously await THE CALL! Today we are 37 weeks pregnant and can’t wait to meet our precious DAUGHTER!
This all seems surreal, we have feelings of excitement and elation as well strong feelings of fear. BUT a wise sister-in-law of mine reminded that we have the ability to choose our thoughts and reactions. So with that piece of advice and with faith in our Heavenly Father we are jumping in with both feet. A lot of PINK has been purchased, our travel bags are packed and we anxiously await THE CALL! Today we are 37 weeks pregnant and can’t wait to meet our precious DAUGHTER!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Disappointment
Who knew such a beautiful path could turn out so bumpy and difficult? Well, the bliss of the weekend was depleted this afternoon, upon receiving more medical records for our Birth-mom. It turns out that she wasn’t completely honest and some of the information she provided the agency was contradicted in medical chart, therefore we have decided to walk away from our agreement.
We feel a little numb, and can’t even explain how we are feeling; sad, hurt, ticked, frustrated, betrayed, discouraged and raging mad are only a few of the words that come to mind. Our hearts hurt for our little boy who extremely excited to soon meet his baby sister.
We feel a little numb, and can’t even explain how we are feeling; sad, hurt, ticked, frustrated, betrayed, discouraged and raging mad are only a few of the words that come to mind. Our hearts hurt for our little boy who extremely excited to soon meet his baby sister.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Perfection!
Well the day has arrived. A day that I began to worry would never happen; the day where we receive a phone call from the social worker with a PERFECT match.
This morning at approx. 9:15am I received a phone call at work from our social worker in Florida. I immediately found myself trying to protect from emotion as this road has been traveled and had a really bumpy ending. The more the social worker spoke the more my protective armour began to fall. Could it really be this perfect? When comes the catch? BUT …there was no catch and it really was that perfect.
Our social worker proceeded to explain that we had been chosen by a birth mother. A birth mother who is Intelligent, Godly, Artistic and has an undeniable love for her children. Our birth mom is a single mom of a beautiful four yr old girl and is currently obtaining her Bachelors in Psychology. She wants only what is best for her expected child and believes WE are the ones able to provide that! YES, she chose to bless us with the most amazing gift. Our birth mom was also adopted and had a wonderful life and upbringing with her adoptive family; she knows and has experienced the success of adoption.
The social worker went into great detail about pre-natal care and then in passing stated “oh yeah she is having a girl”… yes a little GIRL! We are going to be the parents of the most BEAUTIFUL little girl.
On top of this already perfect scenario, the social worker proceeded to tell us that our Birthmother has requested that we be present at the birth and that it has been approved by the attorney. We have the amazing opportunity to witness our baby’s first breath; we truly will be there from the very beginning.
Soooo, we are currently 27 weeks pregnant and will be entering our third trimester on Sunday. At 27 weeks our little girl is over 2 pounds and is almost 15 inches long! She is now perfectly formed, though she still has a lot of growing to do.
I thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, if your prayers could continue we would be grateful. We pray that our baby will continue to grow healthy, that our birth mom will have a smooth 3rd trimester and delivery and that we will be blessed with patience.
Well, Baby Girl
The day can’t come soon enough when we get to cuddle for the first time. I have been praying for you the entire time you have been in your tummy mummy. Please stay warm and comfy for a few more months… enjoy the peacefulness and calm, because you have one excited and rowdy Big Brother waiting to greet you. We love you and we are so glad God has chosen you to be out little girl.
PS… you already have your daddy wrapped around your little finger.
This morning at approx. 9:15am I received a phone call at work from our social worker in Florida. I immediately found myself trying to protect from emotion as this road has been traveled and had a really bumpy ending. The more the social worker spoke the more my protective armour began to fall. Could it really be this perfect? When comes the catch? BUT …there was no catch and it really was that perfect.
Our social worker proceeded to explain that we had been chosen by a birth mother. A birth mother who is Intelligent, Godly, Artistic and has an undeniable love for her children. Our birth mom is a single mom of a beautiful four yr old girl and is currently obtaining her Bachelors in Psychology. She wants only what is best for her expected child and believes WE are the ones able to provide that! YES, she chose to bless us with the most amazing gift. Our birth mom was also adopted and had a wonderful life and upbringing with her adoptive family; she knows and has experienced the success of adoption.
The social worker went into great detail about pre-natal care and then in passing stated “oh yeah she is having a girl”… yes a little GIRL! We are going to be the parents of the most BEAUTIFUL little girl.
On top of this already perfect scenario, the social worker proceeded to tell us that our Birthmother has requested that we be present at the birth and that it has been approved by the attorney. We have the amazing opportunity to witness our baby’s first breath; we truly will be there from the very beginning.
Soooo, we are currently 27 weeks pregnant and will be entering our third trimester on Sunday. At 27 weeks our little girl is over 2 pounds and is almost 15 inches long! She is now perfectly formed, though she still has a lot of growing to do.
I thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, if your prayers could continue we would be grateful. We pray that our baby will continue to grow healthy, that our birth mom will have a smooth 3rd trimester and delivery and that we will be blessed with patience.
Well, Baby Girl
The day can’t come soon enough when we get to cuddle for the first time. I have been praying for you the entire time you have been in your tummy mummy. Please stay warm and comfy for a few more months… enjoy the peacefulness and calm, because you have one excited and rowdy Big Brother waiting to greet you. We love you and we are so glad God has chosen you to be out little girl.
PS… you already have your daddy wrapped around your little finger.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Pretty Crappy Day
So we rode another roller coaster yesterday, it was a tough one, but our Faithful Father made sure we got off safely and held our hand the whole way.
Yesterday morning, the phone rang shortly after nine am and it was a case worker from Sheppard Care (Florida agency). Marc answered and she asked if we could both be on the phone at the same time. She proceeded to tell us that we had been chosen by a birth mom and our baby was due in September. Looking at each other through the reflection of the bedroom mirror, Marc and I’s eyes grew bigger and bigger. She proceeded to tell us the details of the birth mom; the more she told, the more I shook everything seemed so perfect! The birth mom was 25 yrs old, baby had no alcohol or drug exposure and SHE CHOSE US!! The case worker agreed to email us the profile and explained she needed an answer in 24 hrs.
Sitting at our computer, continually hitting “send/receive” the email finally came through 10 LONG minutes later. We slowly scrolled through the profile, which goes into detail regarding family hx, social background, pre natal care and birth mom’s health history. As we scrolled down everything was great; maternal grandfather was a bit short, but other than that all was good. The last page of the profile included health hx… and the perfectness became a little less. Birth mom suffered from quite a serious medical condition that the case worker did not mention when we spoke by phone.
However, even though our excitement was less it wasn’t depleted. We were still excited and proceeded to call family. Despite all the excitement we realised that we quickly wanted to speak with a medical professional regarding the medical issue. Considering it was a holiday, I wasn’t hopeful that we would be able to get in contact with any physician…BUT God opened up doors and within 45 minutes we had three medical opinions; I spoke with an emergency physician at work, dad spoke with a Dr friend and Melanie spoke with her heptalogist) and to our devastation it was more serious than we thought and could lead to chronic illness for the baby.
With much tears and much prayer, we regrettably had to decline the profile. We were devastated and frustrated that this had happened again. We looked back at our adoption paper work and confirmed that we had not checked off that we were open to a birthmom with this specific health condition, therefore our profile should not have even been presented to this mom. I know how emotionally impacted we were, I can’t even imagine what this poor birthmom must be feeling, after she spent weeks choosing a forever family for her child only to have us decline.
I know God has a plan and a baby ready for our family, but in the mean time I am not sure how many more of these roller coaster rides I can go on. This adoption process is far more difficult emotionally than I ever expected.
Yesterday morning, the phone rang shortly after nine am and it was a case worker from Sheppard Care (Florida agency). Marc answered and she asked if we could both be on the phone at the same time. She proceeded to tell us that we had been chosen by a birth mom and our baby was due in September. Looking at each other through the reflection of the bedroom mirror, Marc and I’s eyes grew bigger and bigger. She proceeded to tell us the details of the birth mom; the more she told, the more I shook everything seemed so perfect! The birth mom was 25 yrs old, baby had no alcohol or drug exposure and SHE CHOSE US!! The case worker agreed to email us the profile and explained she needed an answer in 24 hrs.
Sitting at our computer, continually hitting “send/receive” the email finally came through 10 LONG minutes later. We slowly scrolled through the profile, which goes into detail regarding family hx, social background, pre natal care and birth mom’s health history. As we scrolled down everything was great; maternal grandfather was a bit short, but other than that all was good. The last page of the profile included health hx… and the perfectness became a little less. Birth mom suffered from quite a serious medical condition that the case worker did not mention when we spoke by phone.
However, even though our excitement was less it wasn’t depleted. We were still excited and proceeded to call family. Despite all the excitement we realised that we quickly wanted to speak with a medical professional regarding the medical issue. Considering it was a holiday, I wasn’t hopeful that we would be able to get in contact with any physician…BUT God opened up doors and within 45 minutes we had three medical opinions; I spoke with an emergency physician at work, dad spoke with a Dr friend and Melanie spoke with her heptalogist) and to our devastation it was more serious than we thought and could lead to chronic illness for the baby.
With much tears and much prayer, we regrettably had to decline the profile. We were devastated and frustrated that this had happened again. We looked back at our adoption paper work and confirmed that we had not checked off that we were open to a birthmom with this specific health condition, therefore our profile should not have even been presented to this mom. I know how emotionally impacted we were, I can’t even imagine what this poor birthmom must be feeling, after she spent weeks choosing a forever family for her child only to have us decline.
I know God has a plan and a baby ready for our family, but in the mean time I am not sure how many more of these roller coaster rides I can go on. This adoption process is far more difficult emotionally than I ever expected.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Another year has passed
Well I always said I wanted to have all my children by the time I was 30. Well today I turned 31 and though we still wait for our sweet baby to come home, I am at peace that we didn't meet my age quota, as I believe this extra year has provided much wisdom. I have learned the importance of persistence, the value of patience, the rewards of commitment and the blessings that come with faith.
But the peace doesn't come without a little bit of sadness; sadness that another year has passed and our baby is still not resting in our arms, Jacob is another year older and I always wanted my children close in age, sadness that we are soon going on another family holiday but feeling that something is missing and sadness that every celebration passed is one our baby is missing. But with all that being said, I wouldn't change a thing. I am blessed with a husband who cherishes me, a son who thinks I am pretty cool and a family who offer amazing support and love.
So as I enter my 32nd year I will take the lessons that have been taught and have faith that God's wisdom will lead my path.
Baby
Your Momma is getting old, I have a few more grey hairs, and a few more wrinkles but I thank your brother for them everyday and look forward to the day you contribute. You and your big brother are my everything and I would take a head full of greys to feel the love only a child can provide. I love you and practice my patience everyday.
Momma
xox
But the peace doesn't come without a little bit of sadness; sadness that another year has passed and our baby is still not resting in our arms, Jacob is another year older and I always wanted my children close in age, sadness that we are soon going on another family holiday but feeling that something is missing and sadness that every celebration passed is one our baby is missing. But with all that being said, I wouldn't change a thing. I am blessed with a husband who cherishes me, a son who thinks I am pretty cool and a family who offer amazing support and love.
So as I enter my 32nd year I will take the lessons that have been taught and have faith that God's wisdom will lead my path.
Baby
Your Momma is getting old, I have a few more grey hairs, and a few more wrinkles but I thank your brother for them everyday and look forward to the day you contribute. You and your big brother are my everything and I would take a head full of greys to feel the love only a child can provide. I love you and practice my patience everyday.
Momma
xox
Friday, February 26, 2010
Nothing a bit of shopping therapy can’t fix.
Well last week was a bit of a doozy… but on Monday Auntie Tawny and I took a quick trip south of the boarder to do what we do best…SHOP! My shopping list consisted of a new diaper bag and all of its contents! One thing last week did teach me was that I am soooo not ready for a newborn baby. So we went to target and walmart looking for baby stuff. Who would have thought buying diaper cream could be so much fun!! Well we had some success in that I got a new diaper bag, some bottles, soothers, but I didn’t find any gender neutral sleepers, or a coming home outfit. So more shopping I will do. Apparently, adoptive mums nest too… if baby doesn’t come soon, this could turn into a very expensive “trimester”.
So baby, we are almost ready! I had so much fun today, getting everything ready for your arrival! Feel free to come anytime now.
Well last week was a bit of a doozy… but on Monday Auntie Tawny and I took a quick trip south of the boarder to do what we do best…SHOP! My shopping list consisted of a new diaper bag and all of its contents! One thing last week did teach me was that I am soooo not ready for a newborn baby. So we went to target and walmart looking for baby stuff. Who would have thought buying diaper cream could be so much fun!! Well we had some success in that I got a new diaper bag, some bottles, soothers, but I didn’t find any gender neutral sleepers, or a coming home outfit. So more shopping I will do. Apparently, adoptive mums nest too… if baby doesn’t come soon, this could turn into a very expensive “trimester”.
So baby, we are almost ready! I had so much fun today, getting everything ready for your arrival! Feel free to come anytime now.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
This post is a few days late.
February 19th, 2010
So can this week be over already! We got another phone call from our social worker Laura today. I recognised the number on call display and my heart again skipped a beat quickly questioning what she could be calling about. Upon answering she said it was completely coincidental that she was calling two days in a row and then proceeded to tell me about some changes that have taken place over the past few weeks with Canadian/American adoptions. The State of Florida has placed restrictions on adoptive parents having any contact with the adopted child until an emergency hearing has taken place, which is normally 7-10 days after a birth mom has signed consent. Prior to these changes adoptive parents were able to visit the child in the hospital and then retain temporary custody upon discharge until the emergency hearing. Therefore as a result our baby will have to be placed into interim care until the judge has signed off on our case.
Marc and I are so ticked and confused, we don’t understand who this will benefit other than the legal system. The birth mom will be unable to see her child with us the adoptive parents unless she is willing to meet up again post hearing, which I imagine could exacerbate the grieving process. The adoptive parents miss out on the bonding that could have taken place immediately, as well from spending invaluable time with the birth family and mostly will remove us from being any part of the birth story (which hurts the most). As for the most important person in the process our baby who will one day grow into a adolescent and will want to know everything and anything about the day she/he was born and yet we will be unable to provide her/him with any first hand information, as well this baby who will be less than one week old will have three transitions in a very short period of time…Birth family, Interim care and us her/his forever family. I feel like we being robbed of a one in a life time opportunity and precious bonding time.
I know the way it was, was super ideal and very few adoptions had this opportunity, but I guess I didn’t realise how good we could have had it until it was taken away. All in all, this doesn’t change that one day soon we will be a loving family of four, and have a new baby to dote on.
Baby, we make a promise to you that we will do whatever we can to spend as much time with your tummy mummy as possible and praise her for the amazing job she has done for keeping you safe and warm. We will thank her on your behalf for loving you so much and choosing life. When down in Florida we will be detectives and gather as much info as possible…we will be your eyes and ears. We love you little one and can not wait to hold you in our arms. As we wait for you and you wait for us, know that a day does not go by that I don’t pray for you and wish you were snuggling with me. How about we make a deal… I will be patient if you will??
Love you always Mummy.
So can this week be over already! We got another phone call from our social worker Laura today. I recognised the number on call display and my heart again skipped a beat quickly questioning what she could be calling about. Upon answering she said it was completely coincidental that she was calling two days in a row and then proceeded to tell me about some changes that have taken place over the past few weeks with Canadian/American adoptions. The State of Florida has placed restrictions on adoptive parents having any contact with the adopted child until an emergency hearing has taken place, which is normally 7-10 days after a birth mom has signed consent. Prior to these changes adoptive parents were able to visit the child in the hospital and then retain temporary custody upon discharge until the emergency hearing. Therefore as a result our baby will have to be placed into interim care until the judge has signed off on our case.
Marc and I are so ticked and confused, we don’t understand who this will benefit other than the legal system. The birth mom will be unable to see her child with us the adoptive parents unless she is willing to meet up again post hearing, which I imagine could exacerbate the grieving process. The adoptive parents miss out on the bonding that could have taken place immediately, as well from spending invaluable time with the birth family and mostly will remove us from being any part of the birth story (which hurts the most). As for the most important person in the process our baby who will one day grow into a adolescent and will want to know everything and anything about the day she/he was born and yet we will be unable to provide her/him with any first hand information, as well this baby who will be less than one week old will have three transitions in a very short period of time…Birth family, Interim care and us her/his forever family. I feel like we being robbed of a one in a life time opportunity and precious bonding time.
I know the way it was, was super ideal and very few adoptions had this opportunity, but I guess I didn’t realise how good we could have had it until it was taken away. All in all, this doesn’t change that one day soon we will be a loving family of four, and have a new baby to dote on.
Baby, we make a promise to you that we will do whatever we can to spend as much time with your tummy mummy as possible and praise her for the amazing job she has done for keeping you safe and warm. We will thank her on your behalf for loving you so much and choosing life. When down in Florida we will be detectives and gather as much info as possible…we will be your eyes and ears. We love you little one and can not wait to hold you in our arms. As we wait for you and you wait for us, know that a day does not go by that I don’t pray for you and wish you were snuggling with me. How about we make a deal… I will be patient if you will??
Love you always Mummy.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
We took a ride on a rollar coaster today.
I don’t know what or where to start. Today at 3:00pm Marc received a phone call from Laura our social worker in Florida, she said she had a proposed match; a birth mom who’s due date was today and was expecting a little boy. Marc said his heart skipped a beat but he knew a BUT was coming and sure enough there was a pause in the conversation followed by a BUT…Laura proceeded to explain some circumstances around the birth mother’s lifestyle and the possible side effects it could have on this baby boy. It was agreed that Marc and I would further discuss the possibility and would call back with a decision this evening.
Marc called me immediately at work and told me of the situation. Even though our hearts ached for this little boy who could be part of our family, we both knew without hesitation that the risk factors were too high. When I got home we both reviewed the proposed profile which Laura had emailed us and felt at peace with our decision.
However, even though we were at peace, we were both saddened by the thought that we could have been holding a little boy in our arms this weekend, and that our family could have been complete. But we know with confidence that our baby is still waiting for us and are confident that God will give us complete peace and assurance when our little girl/boys profile is presented.
But I ask that you pray for Ms. T and her baby boy that will soon be born. I pray for her physical and emotional health and healing as well that she would be surrounded by people and professionals which will provide support during this difficult time. I pray for her unborn child that he will grow to be healthy, strong and will be placed with a forever family that will provide him with a lifetime of love.
Marc called me immediately at work and told me of the situation. Even though our hearts ached for this little boy who could be part of our family, we both knew without hesitation that the risk factors were too high. When I got home we both reviewed the proposed profile which Laura had emailed us and felt at peace with our decision.
However, even though we were at peace, we were both saddened by the thought that we could have been holding a little boy in our arms this weekend, and that our family could have been complete. But we know with confidence that our baby is still waiting for us and are confident that God will give us complete peace and assurance when our little girl/boys profile is presented.
But I ask that you pray for Ms. T and her baby boy that will soon be born. I pray for her physical and emotional health and healing as well that she would be surrounded by people and professionals which will provide support during this difficult time. I pray for her unborn child that he will grow to be healthy, strong and will be placed with a forever family that will provide him with a lifetime of love.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
January 13th, 2010 (I am still back tracking... but this post brings me up to date in my journal. So from today on, all post will be in "real time")
Oh what a feeling… ALL paperwork is complete and enroute to Florida!! Jacob and I drove out to Hope this morning to drop off the paperwork… Joan had a checklist of all that needed to be completed; as she worked her way down the list, my hands got sweaty in fear that for some reason we forgot one of the applications, but as she checked off the last box, 1000lbs fell from my shoulders. She said she would be couriering it today and congratulated us both. With my son in hand we walked back to the car and I felt a tear run down my face…”Jacob we now have to just pray pray that Jesus will bring us a baby brother or sister soon”… Jacob replied “or a puddle I can jump in”.
There is no greater Joy than that of a child
Oh what a feeling… ALL paperwork is complete and enroute to Florida!! Jacob and I drove out to Hope this morning to drop off the paperwork… Joan had a checklist of all that needed to be completed; as she worked her way down the list, my hands got sweaty in fear that for some reason we forgot one of the applications, but as she checked off the last box, 1000lbs fell from my shoulders. She said she would be couriering it today and congratulated us both. With my son in hand we walked back to the car and I felt a tear run down my face…”Jacob we now have to just pray pray that Jesus will bring us a baby brother or sister soon”… Jacob replied “or a puddle I can jump in”.
There is no greater Joy than that of a child
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
January 2nd 2010
So our home study is FINALLY complete… The social worker came over this afternoon and all went relatively well. The house was clean, baseboards painted, Jacob was bathed, and the dog was brushed and sprayed with deodoriser. I had made arrangements for Auntie Tawny to come and pick up Jacob 30 min into the meeting allowing us to complete the remainder of the meeting in a timely manner.
So the meeting went something like this… Knock at the door, Maggie begins her routine barking marathon, Jacob answers the door and then yells back at Maggie to “BE QUIET”. I quickly follow behind and welcome the social worker into the home. Maggie begins to settle once she has smelled every square inch of the poor lady (thank goodness she was an animal person). Marc then introduces Jacob to Ms X and suggested Jacob take her on a tour of the house. Jacob confidently leads her into each room and shows her how he can jump on his bed, points out where Maggie goes pee and poo and how he can climb into the baby’s crib. We then proceed back down stairs where the social worker begins to ask Jacob questions. “Jacob what is your favourite sport to play”….. Jacob – “poopie poopie bum bum”. I nervously giggle, turn a bright shade of red and ask him to answer the question with his bog boy words… “POOPIE POOPIE BUM BUM”. I apologise and comment that he is the youngest of many older cousins. Social worker - “Jacob what did Santa bring you”. Jacob – Poopie Poopie Bum Bum. Yes that is right my son answered all questions with the same answer!!!! Thank goodness she seemed unaffected and commented how confident he was. If anyone knows my son confidence is not one word you would describe him. He is normally extremely shy around adults. Even though I appreciate his new found confidence and I am not so proud of what we now call his potty words!
Anyway, not much later we were SAVED by the BELL… the door bell rang and auntie tawny had arrived to whisk away our comedian of a boy! After Jacob left all went smoothly and we were able to tie everything up very quickly! So with the conclusion of that meeting our home study is complete!!!!!! Our social worker will be returning next week to review her writer report and sign all documentation.
Baby I pray for you everyday. I am not sure if you are already warm and cuddly in mummy’s belly or if God is still waiting for the perfect tummy mummy, BUT I do know that you are already in God’s Blue Prints and his blue prints are PERFECT!! I love you so much already and can’t wait to hold you in my arms.
So our home study is FINALLY complete… The social worker came over this afternoon and all went relatively well. The house was clean, baseboards painted, Jacob was bathed, and the dog was brushed and sprayed with deodoriser. I had made arrangements for Auntie Tawny to come and pick up Jacob 30 min into the meeting allowing us to complete the remainder of the meeting in a timely manner.
So the meeting went something like this… Knock at the door, Maggie begins her routine barking marathon, Jacob answers the door and then yells back at Maggie to “BE QUIET”. I quickly follow behind and welcome the social worker into the home. Maggie begins to settle once she has smelled every square inch of the poor lady (thank goodness she was an animal person). Marc then introduces Jacob to Ms X and suggested Jacob take her on a tour of the house. Jacob confidently leads her into each room and shows her how he can jump on his bed, points out where Maggie goes pee and poo and how he can climb into the baby’s crib. We then proceed back down stairs where the social worker begins to ask Jacob questions. “Jacob what is your favourite sport to play”….. Jacob – “poopie poopie bum bum”. I nervously giggle, turn a bright shade of red and ask him to answer the question with his bog boy words… “POOPIE POOPIE BUM BUM”. I apologise and comment that he is the youngest of many older cousins. Social worker - “Jacob what did Santa bring you”. Jacob – Poopie Poopie Bum Bum. Yes that is right my son answered all questions with the same answer!!!! Thank goodness she seemed unaffected and commented how confident he was. If anyone knows my son confidence is not one word you would describe him. He is normally extremely shy around adults. Even though I appreciate his new found confidence and I am not so proud of what we now call his potty words!
Anyway, not much later we were SAVED by the BELL… the door bell rang and auntie tawny had arrived to whisk away our comedian of a boy! After Jacob left all went smoothly and we were able to tie everything up very quickly! So with the conclusion of that meeting our home study is complete!!!!!! Our social worker will be returning next week to review her writer report and sign all documentation.
Baby I pray for you everyday. I am not sure if you are already warm and cuddly in mummy’s belly or if God is still waiting for the perfect tummy mummy, BUT I do know that you are already in God’s Blue Prints and his blue prints are PERFECT!! I love you so much already and can’t wait to hold you in my arms.
December 25th, 2009
Merry Christmas Baby, even though we wish you were here celebrating with us this year, we have great hope that next Christmas Day we will be a family of four! There were Christmas presents for you under the tree and I hope it is okay, but your brother helped you open them. You got a few special toys, a beautiful soft blanket and a new stuffie. We love you so much and know that the Christmas season will be even more special when you arrive!
Merry Christmas Baby, even though we wish you were here celebrating with us this year, we have great hope that next Christmas Day we will be a family of four! There were Christmas presents for you under the tree and I hope it is okay, but your brother helped you open them. You got a few special toys, a beautiful soft blanket and a new stuffie. We love you so much and know that the Christmas season will be even more special when you arrive!
December 1st, 2009
Marc and I have now completed our separate home study interviews and with a quick debriefing after each meeting, I am pretty sure we both agreed on most of our answers.
With our written portion of our profile out of the way, we are only left with completing the “scrapbook” piece. I originally thought this part would be a lot easier than it has been. Apparently marc and I stopped taking pics as a couple once Jacob was born… and our information package on writing a profile suggested we include “attractive” pictures of ourselves… which has proven to be even more difficult. I emailed some friends asking them to search through their archives for pictures of us as a couple and the ones emailed back, did not meet the suggested criteria to say the least. It also was difficult to find one of Tawny and Ryan together, however, we finally stumbled upon one of them at Christmas last year. It was perfect you could see the cooked turkey in the background, Ryan affectionately had his arms around tawny and both had genuine smiles on their faces.
The next day I was reflecting on the completed scrapbook page and realised that good ol’ Uncle Ryan is fingering the camera!!! Thank goodness I caught it before I printed it all. So we will continue to plug away at our profile and look forward to it being printed and binded!
In the meantime we have two more home study meetings, the next is at our house… needless to say there is a lot on marc’s “to do “ list and as for me I am off to paint the baseboards!
Marc and I have now completed our separate home study interviews and with a quick debriefing after each meeting, I am pretty sure we both agreed on most of our answers.
With our written portion of our profile out of the way, we are only left with completing the “scrapbook” piece. I originally thought this part would be a lot easier than it has been. Apparently marc and I stopped taking pics as a couple once Jacob was born… and our information package on writing a profile suggested we include “attractive” pictures of ourselves… which has proven to be even more difficult. I emailed some friends asking them to search through their archives for pictures of us as a couple and the ones emailed back, did not meet the suggested criteria to say the least. It also was difficult to find one of Tawny and Ryan together, however, we finally stumbled upon one of them at Christmas last year. It was perfect you could see the cooked turkey in the background, Ryan affectionately had his arms around tawny and both had genuine smiles on their faces.
The next day I was reflecting on the completed scrapbook page and realised that good ol’ Uncle Ryan is fingering the camera!!! Thank goodness I caught it before I printed it all. So we will continue to plug away at our profile and look forward to it being printed and binded!
In the meantime we have two more home study meetings, the next is at our house… needless to say there is a lot on marc’s “to do “ list and as for me I am off to paint the baseboards!
Friday, November 27, 2009
November 24th
Well last night I couldn’t sleep, I had too much on my mind. So I thought I would take advantage of the insomnia and wrote our profile at 2:30am! And the best part is I re-read it in the morning and most of it made sense!!! What a sense of relief and accomplishment that it is done. I didn’t realise how stressed I was about it until now. Once I got going, it didn’t seem as near intimidating. I still feel like I was writing a “flyer” advertising the best deals and trying to sell, what I the “retailer” believes are the most valuable products. I tried hard to be genuine with the understanding that if I was in a birth mother’s situation I wouldn’t want embellishments but instead a clear and truthful description of the product. Maybe I should have asked Jacob to write a buyer review.
So with this HUGE piece out of the way, we are near the end of the application process and soon the timeline will be out of our hands and in that of God’s as we wait for our child to be ours!
Well last night I couldn’t sleep, I had too much on my mind. So I thought I would take advantage of the insomnia and wrote our profile at 2:30am! And the best part is I re-read it in the morning and most of it made sense!!! What a sense of relief and accomplishment that it is done. I didn’t realise how stressed I was about it until now. Once I got going, it didn’t seem as near intimidating. I still feel like I was writing a “flyer” advertising the best deals and trying to sell, what I the “retailer” believes are the most valuable products. I tried hard to be genuine with the understanding that if I was in a birth mother’s situation I wouldn’t want embellishments but instead a clear and truthful description of the product. Maybe I should have asked Jacob to write a buyer review.
So with this HUGE piece out of the way, we are near the end of the application process and soon the timeline will be out of our hands and in that of God’s as we wait for our child to be ours!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Sorry it has been so long since the last update... I have almost caught up to where we are today!
November 9th
We had our first Home Study session last night!!! One down five to go! We really wanted to make the session memorable so we did it in candle light. Well, not willingly… one hour before our meeting was to start the winds picked up and knocked the power out. I called our social worker in fear that we may have to cancel, but she was up to meeting in candle light if we were!
The meeting was great and not near as intimidating as I thought it would be. So many of the questions are similar to the ones we completed in our questionnaire, which marc and I had already discussed in great detail and knew each others answerers before we answered. The next two session are Marc and I separately, which means I can’t squeeze his knee or jab him in the ribs, if he is saying the “wrong” thing (Just kidding…well kinda).
Our profile is yet to be done, actually it has yet to be started. I woke up last night in the middle of the night concerned what I would wear on the day that we meet our birth mom for the first time. Do we dress casually, trying to not be too intimidating, or do we dress like we would for an interview. The first impression is crucial and who knows she may be a clothing designer and think we have no fashion sense.
Next Step…profile and session two of our home study
November 9th
We had our first Home Study session last night!!! One down five to go! We really wanted to make the session memorable so we did it in candle light. Well, not willingly… one hour before our meeting was to start the winds picked up and knocked the power out. I called our social worker in fear that we may have to cancel, but she was up to meeting in candle light if we were!
The meeting was great and not near as intimidating as I thought it would be. So many of the questions are similar to the ones we completed in our questionnaire, which marc and I had already discussed in great detail and knew each others answerers before we answered. The next two session are Marc and I separately, which means I can’t squeeze his knee or jab him in the ribs, if he is saying the “wrong” thing (Just kidding…well kinda).
Our profile is yet to be done, actually it has yet to be started. I woke up last night in the middle of the night concerned what I would wear on the day that we meet our birth mom for the first time. Do we dress casually, trying to not be too intimidating, or do we dress like we would for an interview. The first impression is crucial and who knows she may be a clothing designer and think we have no fashion sense.
Next Step…profile and session two of our home study
Sunday, November 8, 2009
November is National Adoption Month
November is National Adoption month, a month set aside to raise awareness about the adoption of children and youth from foster care. This years theme is "Answering the Call - You don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent.
Here are some links that you may find interesting
http://www.adoption.ca/
http://www.canadaswaitingkids.ca/
Here are some links that you may find interesting
http://www.adoption.ca/
http://www.canadaswaitingkids.ca/
October 29, 2009
Well we have begun the Florida paper work, so much of it is a repeat with what we have already completed for Hope. I feel like we are at a bit of a standstill until we begin our home study. But on a more exciting note Marc completed our immigration papers and now we wait for our client ID number. I also set Tawny on a mission to find some sort of online scrapbooking site and she was successful. She found a site called that allows me copy and paste my pictures into predesigned scrapbook pages. I can then print of the entire page in color and voila a scrapbook minus the tape and glue. We have to provide Sheppard Care 10 copies of our portfolio (scrapbook) and I can not imagine having to recreate the same pages 10x doing it the scissors and glue way. So a huge thank you to Auntie Tawny for doing all the research!
And the best news yet… we have a date for our first home study appointment. We will be meeting with our social worker Gwen on Nov 5th at 6:30.
NEXT STEP… start our “Dear Birth Momma” letter.
Well we have begun the Florida paper work, so much of it is a repeat with what we have already completed for Hope. I feel like we are at a bit of a standstill until we begin our home study. But on a more exciting note Marc completed our immigration papers and now we wait for our client ID number. I also set Tawny on a mission to find some sort of online scrapbooking site and she was successful. She found a site called that allows me copy and paste my pictures into predesigned scrapbook pages. I can then print of the entire page in color and voila a scrapbook minus the tape and glue. We have to provide Sheppard Care 10 copies of our portfolio (scrapbook) and I can not imagine having to recreate the same pages 10x doing it the scissors and glue way. So a huge thank you to Auntie Tawny for doing all the research!
And the best news yet… we have a date for our first home study appointment. We will be meeting with our social worker Gwen on Nov 5th at 6:30.
NEXT STEP… start our “Dear Birth Momma” letter.
Friday, October 30, 2009
October 19, 2009
We have now completed our first manila envelope for Sheppard Care, but rumour has it another is on its way. Today we had a conference call with our Florida social worker Laura; speaking for an hour and half about the process and our outstanding paper work. Laura made the next few steps seem relatively easy…but we all know there is nothing easy about this process. We briefly talked about creating our profile and what it should entail. Our profile includes a “Dear Birthmom” letter along with pictures. The thought of writing a dear birthmom letter makes me sick to my stomach… it scares me to think this is our one shot at “advertising”; what if she doesn’t like my style of writing, or our sense of humour, what if she is a vegetarian and I mention turkey dinner; and what if she looks at our pictures and thinks we look like dorks. The thought is so overwhelming. I guess all we can do is be completely honest with who we are and hope this will be enough. We have faith that God has already chosen our baby and therefore a prospective birthmom will be able to look past out “unattractive” pictures and goofy family traditions.
Concluding our conversation with Laura she assured that another envelope was enroute and looked forward to receiving the completed forms…surprise, surprise!!
Next step…we are hoping our Hope social worker will call sometime this week and we can begin our homestudy as well fill out Florida forms!
Dear Baby Sister
This is Jacob your big brother. When you come to our house I will help you get out of the crib when you cry. You just have to lift you hands up really high, because I am not big and can not reach yet.
I love you. Love Jacob
(Jacob often changes it up, some days he is having a sister other days it is a brother)
We have now completed our first manila envelope for Sheppard Care, but rumour has it another is on its way. Today we had a conference call with our Florida social worker Laura; speaking for an hour and half about the process and our outstanding paper work. Laura made the next few steps seem relatively easy…but we all know there is nothing easy about this process. We briefly talked about creating our profile and what it should entail. Our profile includes a “Dear Birthmom” letter along with pictures. The thought of writing a dear birthmom letter makes me sick to my stomach… it scares me to think this is our one shot at “advertising”; what if she doesn’t like my style of writing, or our sense of humour, what if she is a vegetarian and I mention turkey dinner; and what if she looks at our pictures and thinks we look like dorks. The thought is so overwhelming. I guess all we can do is be completely honest with who we are and hope this will be enough. We have faith that God has already chosen our baby and therefore a prospective birthmom will be able to look past out “unattractive” pictures and goofy family traditions.
Concluding our conversation with Laura she assured that another envelope was enroute and looked forward to receiving the completed forms…surprise, surprise!!
Next step…we are hoping our Hope social worker will call sometime this week and we can begin our homestudy as well fill out Florida forms!
Dear Baby Sister
This is Jacob your big brother. When you come to our house I will help you get out of the crib when you cry. You just have to lift you hands up really high, because I am not big and can not reach yet.
I love you. Love Jacob
(Jacob often changes it up, some days he is having a sister other days it is a brother)
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