Happy Birthday...we have a teenager in our midst...

It seems like just the other day we brought our sweet baby angel home and started our Parenthood Journey. We prayed for this sweet baby angel....this little girl was loved and cherished before she was even born. Our first daughter, the first grandchild, the only granddaughter, the first niece.....loved by everyone, loves everyone and loves life.


Today she turned 13, a teenager. Where have the years gone, where are they going. She is growing into a wonderful young lady. I am proud to call her my daughter. She is sweet, kind, loving, selfless, considerate, respectful, responsible, mature, and beautiful - inside and out. She is always willing to help her family and friends. She volunteers as a "buddy" in our local Challenger baseball league, helping a little boy play the American game. He cannot use his hands, she helps him hold his bat with his feet and throw the ball with his feet. He is her assigned buddy, but she will also help out the little girl with Downs Syndrome or the little boy with autism....her heart is huge and her mind is open to all life's possibilities.


She regularly babysits for a family of 4 small children, not for money, because she loves these children....that is her way. She loves all animals, if is was up to her we would have a houseful...wait we do have a houseful!! She also takes care of our pets....the gecko, the snake, the fish, the hamster, the cats, the dog...she is very responsible pet owner.


This past year was a very difficult year for her in school. She struggled with her peers and being in a small school environment did make the situation any easier for her. She persevered though and has grown tremendously through her trials and tribulations. She has gained self confidence which in turn increased her self esteem. She has learned to stand up for herself and is not afraid to speak her mind. WOW...I wish I could have done that at 13...she is an amazing girl and we are so proud of her.


Today we celebrated her, we celebrated her life and her spirit and the wonderful young lady she is becoming.
She received her first cell phone...a total surprise for her!! I love surprising her.

She also received this little guy, or gal....her name is Star and she is a dwarf hamster and is very adorable. She also received clothes, jewelry, and money....what more could a 13 year old girl want - a cell phone, a hamster, clothes, jewelry, and money!!


Happy Birthday sweet angel girl....I am very proud of you and the woman you are becoming.

Tumultuous week, Ups and Downs

Well this past week is definitely one I could have done without!! Remember The Day My Karma Left Me when I had my annual Squish and Flatten? The saga did not end there.

I came home from work last Wednesday and I had a letter from the mammogram people. They found something suspicious and needed me to come in for another picture and if needed an ultrasound of the boob in question. I do believe my heart stopped for an instant as I read the letter. Of course I instantly thought the worst, remember I lost a very dear friend to breast cancer recently. I missed her greatly that day, I wanted to call her. I picked up the phone and then remembered that she was gone.....what a horrible feeling.

I called the mammogram people immediately and scheduled my second photo session for the following day. They did close up shots this time. The technician showed me my first pictures and I must admit, I did not know my boobs were so photogenic!! The radiologist had circled 5 areas of concern.....5 areas!!! I think my heart missed a beat again.

After taking and developing my close up shots, she told me that I needed to make an ultrasound appointment. I could not believe this was happening. I called the ultrasound people immediately and the soonest they could schedule was me was for June 5. That was 2 weeks away...I can imagine a complete disaster in 2 weeks, I could write my will and plan my funeral. Why is it that we always imagine the worst, and plan for it?? I did not think the best and plan a party to celebrate...odd how the human mind works.

When I got home that day, shell shocked to be sure, I had a phone message from my doctor's office. They needed to schedule an appointment to review the mammogram and ultrasound results. Unfortunately my doctor will be on vacation the first 2 weeks of June (of course) and they could not schedule me until June 21. A month away...I might die by then!!! I said to the receptionist - "That is an awful long time to have wait to find out if you have cancer". She was very quiet on phone, but I think I put it in perspective. Sometimes we forget that a human is attached to every appointment slot, not just a name. Of course it wasn't her fault, and she could not do anything about the situation...she is actually quite nice and very accommodating. I was just very frustrated, and scared.

How can I wait this long? I have no choice. I must be patient, but I can also be persistent. I called the ultrasound people every morning and asked if they had any opening for that day...and bingo...today I hit the jackpot....they squeezed me in!!!

The ultrasound technician told me that my close up shots did not show anything abnormal...Huh?? That did not make any sense to me...the only thing I could think of is that they missed the area in question, I am pretty well endowed!! We did the ultrasound and she immediately spotted a suspicious area and took lots of photos of it. She then told me she was going to consult with the Radiologist and that he might come in and look at the screen. She returns in 5 minutes and informs me that he said it "appears to be cystic in nature" and to return in 6 months for another ultrasound. She also told me to do my exams and check for changes. Now, mind you, I cannot feel what she found. It must be very deep, but I guess if I do start feeling it I will start freaking out a bit!!

So that is that!! I had breast cancer (in my mind) and now I don't....if only it was that easy in reality!!! I could have done without this roller coaster ride!!

Memorial Day Tribute

Yesterday we celebrated Memorial Day here in the US. For most of us it is a day off work that involves either shopping or BBQing. Few of us really think about the reason behind the day off work, myself included.





Memorial Day is dedicated to all of our men and women who have given up their lives for our country. They have fought in wars throughout the world, all in the name of freedom. Freedom that we take for granted. Freedom to worship the God of our choosing, freedom to disagree with our government, freedom to dress as we wish, freedom to live our lives in anyway we choose.





What would our lives be like if these Freedoms were not a part of daily lives? How would we worship? How would we dress? How would we express ourselves? Freedom costs. We are very fortunate for the men and women in our Armed Services who are willing to pay for our Freedoms.





I don't believe in wars or ego driven politicians or religious genocide....but I do believe in supporting the people who are protecting our freedom...and thanking them for their bravery. I hope you do too.

Fun Monday

Welcome to the Vacation edition of Fun Monday. We are all virtual travelers this week and I am sure our trip will take us around the world!!! I hope everyone has their passport up to date and is ready to go!!!

My favorite vacation is our annual camping trip to Big Basin State Park in the Santa Cruz mountains of California. We go every year in June. I Love It!!! The air is fresh, the beauty is breathtaking, I feel a sense of peace in a redwood forest....I get rejuvenated.





This is our humble abode for the 4 nights we are there. Nothing better than a tent under a canopy of redwood trees....ahh....the bliss.





We celebrate my birthday in the forest every year..and every year it gets better!!


The trees are magical and awe inspiring.
They are like old friends that we visit year after year.
We also meet some new friends each year.
We go on many hikes throughout the week. We become Trail Blazers!!
We have so much fun together without any electronic distractions...no phones, TV's, computers, music....just good old fashioned human companionship.This is most definitely my favorite vacation spot. I always come home rejuvenated and our family gets a bit closer every year.



Now, we need to pack our bags and head on over to the next vacation spot......Here is the list of our virtual travelers this week....Have fun!!!!



(does anyone want to host next week??)

EDIT** Karisma offered to host next week!!! Thanks Karisma!!!


1. Melanie
2. ChrisB
3. Mamalang
4. Jen
5. AOJ and the Lurchers
6. Laura
7. Jan
8. Cruise Mom
9. Mariposa
10. Lisa
11. Hootin' Anni
12. Swampangel
13. Gattina
14. Olive
15. Janet from her own Planet
16. Grace
17. Grand Life
18. Min
19. Robin
20. Karisma - yes, you can break the rules!!!...Yes, bring the wine, we need to toast Nikki's anniversary!!! ***Our host for next week!!!***
21. Tink
22. Sauntering Soul
23. Karina
24. Peter
25. Faye
26. Pamela
27. Joy T
28. Nikki - Happy Anniversay!!
29. BS
30. Sayre
31. Cynthia
32. Jientje
33. Jo
34. Kitten
35. Jenn
36. Tiggerlane
37. Lisa
38. Ellen B
39. Rachel
40. Ari
41. Tammy
42. Meg
43. Chantelle
44. Storyteller
45. Betty
46. Molly

The Party is Here!!

SIGN UP HERE FOR MAY 26th!!!!

I am hosting Fun Monday next week, May 26th....Memorial Day for all of us Americans!!! Here is your assignment:

Vacations...this is the time of year when most of us go on vacations. Show us and/or tell us about your favorite vacation - where you went, what you did, etc. Pictures would be great. Let's all take a trip around a the world via our FM friends!!

Sign up in the comments section.....

Here is the list of our virtual travelers for this week (thanks for the Mr. Linky help Robin and Mariposa, I will have to play with it for next time!!):

1. Melanie

2. ChrisB

3. Mamalang

4. Jen

5. AOJ and the Lurchers

6. Laura

7. Jan

8. Cruise Mom

9. Mariposa

10. Lisa

11. Hootin' Anni

12. Swampangel

13. Gattina

14. Olive

15. Janet from her own Planet

16. Grace

17. Grand Life

18. Min

19. Robin

20. Karisma - yes, you can break the rules!!!...Yes, bring the wine, we need to toast Nikki's anniversary!!!

21. Tink

22. Sauntering Soul

23. Karina

24. Peter

25. Faye

26. Pamela

27. Joy T

28. Nikki - Happy Anniversay!!

29. BS

30. Sayre

31. Cynthia

32. Jientje

33. Jo

34. Kitten

35. Jenn

36. Tiggerlane

37. Lisa

38. Ellen B

39. Rachel

Fun Monday

Our hostess extraordinaire this week is Mariposa and here is her assignment:

We all have them...and if you don't, you do....you just may not realize it. For some reason or another we all collect something and we collect it for reasons that will definitely make for good reading. So on Monday, I want to see your collection. If you don't have or don't want or CAN'T (wink) show us a picture, then tell us what the collection is in 10 words or less. Then tell us why you started collecting it.

Collections....let's see here....

In my previous life, before I became a Mom, I collected anything and everything that had to do with wolves. Wolves are definitely my favorite animal and I have many books, figurines, etc. with wolves on them. I still love wolves today.

Then I became a Mom!!! I just did not have the time and/or energy for collections....so nowadays I collect....

....to-do lists, grocery lists, errand lists, appointment lists......

....and bills, and more bills.....

....but most important....I'm collecting Memories and I cannot think of a more important or valuable collection than that!!!





Head on over to Mariposa's for more collections. I am sure we will learn of some wacky and wonderful collections this week.

The Day My Karma Left Me...

Normally I am a very easy going person. I tend to adapt the "whatever comes my way" attitude and I usually show a great deal of patience and tolerance to the public, especially store employees and people in service positions. And then we have today. I have no idea what went wrong, maybe my moons were overlapping, or were too far apart, or my sign was rising or falling....whatever....my karma was completely off today and now I am afraid to leave my house....Let me explain.

It is that time of year when I have my annual physical with my doctor. I do this because I am a responsible adult and I want to be around to enjoy my grandchildren, after all, isn't that why you have children?? I digress....part of my annual physical is to have my bodily fluids drained and analysed for any obscure or silent ailments. Of course I have to fast before having said bodily fluids drained. For me, this is very difficult. I find it extremely hard to leave the house without my cuppa tea and some food in my belly. Today my husband was home so I thought it would be a good morning for this torture since he could take the children to school. I make my breakfast to go, and put my tea in a travel mug and off I go to the lab. The lab opens at 7:30 and I arrive there at 7:20. I thought I was brilliant getting there early, but I immediately spied a group of people who were as brilliant as me. I was #4 in line. Not so bad I thought so I sat down to wait and read my book. At 7:30 exactly the doors opened and we filed in and signed in on the handy sign in sheet. The first person began the check in process. At 7:50 the first person was still in the check in process. WTF???? At this rate my breakfast to go waiting in the car for me will become lunch, if I don't pass out first from my fast and my blood pressure rising. I calmly go to the desk and ask, ever so sweetly, "Can't you just draw our blood and do all this computer crap later?" Both employees, yes I said both (2 heads better than one?? Naw), looked at me and said, in unison, "No". At that moment there was a neon sign flashing in my mind that said "MORON" and it was directed at me - What am I thinking....I can't be rude to them....they are going to be poking a needle in my arm soon....so I turned around and went back to my seat, quietly and read my book. I eventually had my turn, had my bodily fluids drained, she only shoved the needle around for a few seconds, I am sure that was payback and I left. I had a 9:00 appointment for a mammogram.

I arrive at my next appointment, check in and notice that there is only one lady ahead of me. This shouldn't take too long. The lady is an elderly Italian lady, and she was a hoot. I had the best time conversing with her, and laughing. She gets called in and by 9:20 she is out the door. Shouldn't be too long now, right? wrong... At 9:50 I calmly walk up to the desk and inquire, ever so sweetly, how much longer my wait will be. She informs me that I am next. No shit!! I already know that, how much longer is "next"?? She just looks at me...I could have swore I was speaking English...oh well, back to my seat. Finally I get called back and ready myself for the Big Squish and Flatten. She wanted me to tape a piece of metal to each nipple and I told her that if I wanted my nipples pierced I would have that done elsewhere, thank you very much. She just looked at me too. Did I become bilingual and not know it?? I am sure I am speaking English. I get my TaTa's squished and flattened and photoed sanes nipple rings.

Now, if I was smart, I would have gone home.....but NOOO...I pushed my luck and went to Trader Joe's. Have you ever gone to Trader Joe's? It is my favorite grocery store and I go weekly, but only during the week in the morning. Any other time it is pure torture. The aisles are narrow and it is always crowded. My timing is not perfect today, but it is not bad either. I should be in and out in 20 minutes....should is the operative word here. I begin my shopping and much to my dismay I find myself behind an elderly gentlemen who is talking on a cell phone. First strike against him...Trader Joe's is not conducive to cell phone gabbing...the store is too damn small and you are bound to get in some one's way. He is in my way and I can't get around him....and then...I overhear his conversation....

"Okay honey I am in front of the cheese, what kind do you want? how about blue cheese, or cheddar..what?.. you want swiss? do you want organic....yes...what...no...oh you do want organic.."

Oh for the love of God...I can't believe it....I am stuck behind an old geezer, talking with his wife on the cell phone. What ever happened to the grocery lists Man....give me a break. I spy my escape route, as we round the corner he heads to the yogurt section..."low fat?, non fat? organic? what flavor?" and I slip past him and head down the pasta section. Whew...I am free and back on track...but wait...there is toilet paper where there should be pasta...WTF?? Half the aisle is toilet paper and half is pasta. They are rearranging the store and quit half way through.....are you kidding me?? Now I have to think and try to remember everything when I normally just breeze through mindlessly plucking the usuals off the shelves. I think the Gods are definitely against me today. I make it through the store, but my basket isn't as full as it usually is...hmm..oh well....I get in the wrong checkout line, of course!! What did you expect? I start to bag my own groceries like I usually do, see I am nice like that...when a nice young gentleman employee comes over and says "I will do that"..."thank you", I reply. My order is rung up and I pay and I notice that he is still bagging. I watch him for awhile and think...."what is taking so long?" I am sure he had a mild or raging case of OCD... it looked like my bags were color coded and sorted by shapes and sizes!!! OMG...just throw the blasted items in any old bag...I have got to get home already!!! Ten minutes later I am driving home....

Now I am afraid to leave my house....can someone please pick up my kids from school at 3??

Friday Funny

A little girl asked her mother, 'How did the human race appear?'

The mother answered, 'God made Adam and Eve and they had children and so was all mankind made.'

Two days later the girl asked her father the same question.

The father answered, 'Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved.'

The confused girl returned to her mother and said, 'Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Dad said they developed from monkeys?'

The mother answered, 'Well, dear, it is very simple. I told you about my side of the family and your father told you about his.'

Have a great Friday!!!

A Bloggy Buddy

Have you visited Joeprah.com yet??? No...what are you waiting for?? He is a SAHD and talks openly and frankly about his day to day with his 3 adorable daughters. He is also having a contest right now and you could win some cold hard cash on The Fourth of July!!! Check it out....Nuff said.

Footprints of a Family, our second adoption journey, epilogue

this journey begins here



Thank you for taking this journey with me, with us. I have enjoyed writing it as much as you have enjoyed reading it. This was such wonderful and tumultuous time for us. We did go home with Michael that Saturday. We were met at the airport by my parents and our daughter...what an incredible reunion it was. Cassie was so excited to meet her brother, she immediately wanted to hold him, remember she was only 4 years old. As we were walking out of the airport, I was holding her hand and she looked up to me and said, "Mommy, thank you for bringing home my baby brother." Tears flowed down my face.





Michael's birthfather continued to contest the adoption, but he did it silently. He was formally served adoption papers. He ignored them. He had 30 days to sign, fight, or do nothing. He did nothing. Somehow they found our phone number and we started getting daily phone calls, multiple calls a day. They never said anything. This went on for weeks. Finally, I grew tired of the calls. One day I said into the phone, "Please stop calling us. We would have gladly shared Michael with you and kept you in his life through pictures and letters, but we will not put up with this BS. Please stop calling us until you can be more respectful towards us." That was the last phone call we received. After the 30 days was up we thought we were free. Alas, we were not. He was served papers again and this time had 14 days to contest, sign, or do nothing. Again, he did nothing and his parental rights were finally terminated.





Six months later we stood in front of a Judge and formally became a family of four. Our family was complete that day.





Breastfeeding Michael was not as easy as I had hoped it would be. The supplemental nursing system was very difficult to use, and Michael was a very difficult baby. He did nurse for comfort many a night during his colicky phase. That was a blessing, being able to soothe him. For that reason alone I found this endeavor to be successful.





We have stayed in contact with Laura and her family. Michael wore the family christening gown his birth great grandmother made, on the day he was baptized. We were very honored and that made his baptism day all the more special. We did send it back for the upcoming generations to wear. Laura has 2 daughters now, a 2.5 year old and a 9 month old. We refer to these angels as Michael's baby sisters. He speaks to Laura and the older girl on the phone frequently. He will even sign cards to them - "Love your big brother, Michael". I find this very endearing. Michael's birthfamily has sent birthday and Christmas gifts to both Michael and Cassie, every year. I was so thankful for this because I did not want Cassie to feel left out. They have always included her in everything, which is wonderful because we don't have the same relationship with her birthfamily.





"How have we told our children they are adopted?" - I don't know....to be quite honest with you!! They have always known. It has always been a part of our dialogue. When they were very young we read adoption books to them, we have quite a few excellent adoption children's stories. When we read them, we would elaborate the book with their story. When I was asked if they grew in my tummy, we would talk about it - "No sweetie, you grew in Laura/A's tummy and she gave you to us to love and that is how we became your Mommy and Daddy". Our conversations have always been open and honest and loving. This was very important to me. I was also adopted and I have always known. My parents always talked about my birthparents in a kind and loving way, they always let me know how special adoption was. My adoption was closed, still is....that was how they did it then. I am so glad the times have changed. Open adoption is so much healthier for everyone involved.


"Have my children ever screamed in anger that I was not their mother?" - No, not yet, but I am sure they will. I did to my mother when I was a teenager (yes, I have apologized to her for that!!) Cassie did say to me one night in all of her preteen angst, "If I am so special why did A give me away?" Oh how that broke my heart, my sweet little angel hurting so much. I have told her many times why A "gave her away" but I knew at that moment my words would mean nothing to her. Thankfully A had written her a letter on the day she was born and I knew this was the moment to let her read it. In this beautiful letter A tells her everything I have always told her, but at that moment she needed to "hear" it from A. She read that letter, and she understood, and she felt loved, and she was at peace. A was also adopted and she knew this day would come...I was so grateful to her again. I am sure it will come up again, but I am also sure that having contact with their birthmothers eases most of their uncertainty and questions. We have only spoken of the birthmothers in loving and kind ways.


"Since you seem to be close to Michael's birth family, has this had any impact on Cassie, not having that same closeness?" - Not that we are aware of. Of course, it was very helpful to have his birthfamily "adopt" Cassie and include her in everything so she never felt left out. We are eternally grateful to them for that. I think if they had not done that it would have had a huge impact on her! We also have contact with Cassie's birthmother and I knew she would be open to visits. Cassie expressed in interest in a visit last year and I encouraged her to send an email. She did and we met with her birth grandmother and birthmother and her baby sister. It was a beautiful day and we are now in more frequent contact. After our visit was over, Cassie looked at me and said, "Thank you Mommy." Tears came to my eyes as I told her, "Your welcome".


I hope I have answered all your questions. I did not really have a goal when I started writing these journeys, but now that they are done I hope you have a much better understanding of the intricacies of open adoption. I also hope you have the utmost respect for birthmothers, they are amazing woman and I hold them in the highest regard.


Cassie and I watched the movie Juno the other night....we loved it. It was very honest and real. I highly recommend it.


Open adoption is a beautiful paradox. Through hope, love, joy and pain two families who were once strangers are forever united and become one family bonded together through the love they share for a special child.


the final chapter will be Michael through the years, a photo journey

Fun Monday

Sauntering Soul is our wonderful hostess this week.....thank you so much for volunteering!!! Here is her assignment:



Come on - it's confession time! List the small things you do that make you a jerk and elaborate just a bit on each one. Please tell me I'm not the only jerk around here!

Don't worry...you are definitely not the only jerk around here!!!

Well, I will try and keep this post short!!!, but I am not sure that will be possible!! I thought about asking my family for their opinion, but then I thought better of it. This post may go on forever if they put their 2 cents in!!

Here is my list of "jerkiness":

*I tend to judge people from the outside before getting to know them....I am wrong almost all of the time

*I tend towards impatience when it comes to my children and my husband, I am working on this.

*I err on the lazy side, would much rather be blogging or reading than working!!

*I hide my chocolate treats from my family.

*I pass gas frequently.

*I am told that I snore, but I don't believe it.

*I can easily go into a state of denial and stay there!!!

I am sure there are tons more....but I can't for the life of me think of anymore!! I am sure if I sent an email out to everyone in my address book I would have many more bullet points....but I don't think I will!!! I think I would much rather focus on the positives, and work on the negatives.

I am sure there will be some wonderful posts on this subject so head on over to Sauntering Soul to see all the participants!!

In Memory of....

We lost a family member today, a best friend, our Zackie Boy. Zack was diagnosed with Mast Cell Cancer, stage 3 (out of 3 stages) in February. This morning we made the decision to allow him to go with dignity and love. It was extremely hard....but the right thing to do.
Zack was an incredible dog. He weighed 140 pounds in his prime and he did not have a mean bone in his body. He did not realize how big he was, he was sure he was the ultimate lap dog...and he was. He was my shadow, followed me everywhere and was never happier than when he was by our sides. He was a wonderful guard dog. He ferocious sounding bark greeted every visitor. Little did they know that he would kill them with slobber and kisses. Slobber was his speciality....I think he could hold a gallon of water in his jowls. You did not want to be near him after he drank water.
He was a very generous and loving dog to other animals also. He welcomed all newcomers with enthusiasm. He would share his food, water....
...and his bed. He was never jealous of our new four legged additions, even Baron, our obnoxious puppy was welcomed into our home last year. Up until his last hour, he tolerated Baron's pestering with kindness and tolerance.
Zack never showed us how much he was suffering. Last night we noticed a huge tumor in his abdominal area that extended up to his front legs. He must have been suffering tremendously...we never knew. This morning he greeted me with a smile on his face, a bone in his mouth and his tail wagging. He left us a few hours later....he looked at me with love as if to thank me for helping him....He was an incredible dog and will be missed greatly.....


Goodbye my sweet boy....I will see you Over the Rainbow Bridge....

Friday Funny

Man goes into a cocktail lounge and approaches Maxine sitting by herself.

Man: "May I buy you a cocktail?"

Maxine: "No thank you, alcohol is bad for my legs."

Man: "Sorry to hear that. Do they swell?"

Maxine: "No, they spread."

Have a wonderful Friday!!!

Karmyn is Having a Baby!!!

Swampy, the good witch, is hosting a baby shower for Karmyn. I love a good party and with Swampy as the hostess with the mostess, I knew this would be great!!! So, I invited myself to the party and then I started shopping, and boy did I have a great time!!!




Karmyn in honor of your newest addition to your family I am giving you the following....and I hope you will find them useful!!!



First off we have a cake, but this is just not any cake....it is a cake made out of diapers.....just so you know, these are new diapers, and they are cloth. I am not sure which way you are going - disposable or cloth - but they make good burp rags also!!

Since I am sure your baby will be the coolest baby in your town, he will have to have this shirt....just don't let him spit up on it....it kind of takes away from the hipness!!

Speaking of spit up....I am sure that you will need a few of these. The labels are for your sleep deprived mind to know just what area of the baby you are wiping.

And while you are changing and wiping the baby....be sure to cover his jewels with these nifty little pee-pee tee-pees so you don't get a shower....of course some days you really may not get a regular shower so these are always optional!!

And last, but definitely not least...I am giving you my all time favorite book for Moms with boys. Every time I read this book, I cry. I used to sing it to my son all the time.....Enjoy!!!

Enjoy your new little one...savor every sleep deprived, special moment...they are only babies for a short while before they start talking back!!!

Footprints of a Family, our second adoption journey, part 15

this journey begins here

Our first night with Michael was wonderful. It felt so great to hold him and love him and care for him. He took to the breastfeeding like a champ, unfortunately the supplemental feeding device was not as user friendly as I had hoped....but we persevered, and were very glad we had bottles also!!





Wednesday morning we awoke and called Laura. I was worried about her and her mother. I imagined their night was not as magical as ours was. We decided to go to their house for a visit.





When we had left the hospital the previous night, we did not make plans to see each other again until right before we left for home. Funny how you make plans you think are right, and what actually happens is the complete opposite, but is so right!





We spent Wednesday and every day until we left at Laura's house. Those days were wonderful for everyone. All of us cared for Michael, feeding him, burping him, changing his diapers...we all did it, and it was the best thing for us. It was magical to see the smile on Laura's face when she held Michael. To see Laura's mom talking to him like only a grandmother could was breath taking. Time stood still those days while we basked in the love of a new life.





We were also in constant contact with our attorney and social worker. Apparently the birthfather decided to contest the adoption. The was a major bump in our journey and this bump was keeping us in South Carolina while we longed to be home in California. Day after day went by....waiting for the okay to leave.





Our days were spent at Laura's house, our nights were spent in our hotel room with our son. Our hearts were torn between our new son and our daughter we missed horribly. Each time we snuggled our newborn son and kissed his sweet smelling head was a reprieve from the terrible ache in our hearts missing our daughter's sweet hugs and cuddles.





Tuesday.....Wednesday......Thursday....waiting....always the interminable waiting.





Thursday we speak to our attorney and our social worker. The consensus everyone has is that the birthfather is only contesting the adoption because he thinks Laura has been compensated monetarily for the adoption and he wants his share of the profits. He has no desire to parent Michael. We get the okay to leave the state. If the birthfather is serious about contesting the adoption he will have to fight it in California. We can finally go home!!





Thursday night we go out to dinner with Laura and her mom. It is a goodbye dinner. We are all lost in a fog of fatigue and emotions. Our plans are set to drive to Atlanta on Friday and fly home on Saturday. Our time with Laura has come to a close. She has given us a most precious gift, how can we ever thank her for it.....the reality is we can't. Over dinner Laura and her mom offer to take Michael home for the night so we can get a good night's sleep before we go home. It is a generous offer and very tempting....we are very tired. As much as I wanted to say yes, I couldn't. A part of me felt very selfish...I had his whole life, why couldn't I give her one night? I couldn't though, I just couldn't. They were very understanding, if they were disappointed, it didn't show. Their level of generosity was unimaginable.





Friday morning arrived and we were ready to leave. We stopped at Laura's house to say our final goodbyes. Her mom and her grandmother were there. It was the hardest thing I have ever done, saying goodbye to the three women who I came to love, who I admired greatly, who had a place in my heart. The three women who gave us a gift of life.





We received a phone call while we were there from our social worker. She told us we could not leave yet. We did not understand...we were told we could....we were packed....don't you understand, we have to get home...our daughter...our son.





We called our attorney. He said we could go. He would take care of it. Everything would be okay. Don't worry.





What do we do?





We leave as planned. We say goodbye to Laura, we say goodbye to her mom, we say goodbye to her grandmother. Her grandmother holds Laura as she sobs, as we leave. I cry as we get in the car. Adoption....such joy amidst such pain....a paradox.





Atlanta is a 2 hour car ride and I promptly fall asleep from exhaustion. I wake up and ask Dave, "Are we in Georgia yet?"

"Yes", he replies.





My heart is at ease. We have crossed the state line with our son. The son we may have to fight for when we get home. The son we have known for only 5 days, but we have known for a lifetime. The son we would give our life for. We are taking him home to meet his sister. The daughter we would give our life for. Our family is complete. Our journey is coming to a close. Another journey awaits us....the journey of parenthood....the journey that never ends.





This is the conclusion to this series. I will post an epilogue shortly and a journey in pictures of Michael's life. Some wonderful questions have been asked in the comments and I would like to answer any questions you might have when I write the epilogue. Please feel free to ask your questions in your comments. Thank you for embarking on this journey with me.

Weekend Retreat

The majestic Pacific Ocean...one of my favorite sights, smells and sounds. It is peaceful place for me and one of the favorite places for our family to visit. Last Saturday night Dave and I had a getaway night....just the two of us. We were able to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary at one of our favorite places. It was pure heaven....a total indulgence.
We arrived in Bodega Bay (remember the movie The Birds??) in the early afternoon and took a long walk on the beach. I love walking the beach barefoot. It was a sunny, but chilly day. The sand was so warm on my bare feet that I did not feel the chill in the wind. The sun was shining, the air smelled fresh and clean and the waves were crashing. It was so peaceful.....just the two of us.
Driving to our hotel we were fortunate to spot some wildlife. In all honesty, I have never seen a live skunk. Usually I smell them or see them as roadkill....this was very exciting. Of course, because it was daylight the poor little guy was probably not in the best of health...but I thought he was kind of cute!!
We had the good fortune to stay at the Bodega Bay Lodge and Spa. I highly recommend it. It is very luxurious. All the rooms have a view of the bay and a fireplace. The restaurant is 5 star dining, and the room service menu is the same as the restaurant menu. We chose to order dinner in and we ate in front of the fireplace with candlelight illuminating the room....very romantic, much better than a noisy restaurant.
After a leisurely breakfast and coffee on the patio, we strolled down to the spa for our treatments. Dave had a hot stone massage and I had a facial and massage. Pure heavenly bliss...words cannot describe the level of peace and contentment we felt upon leaving the spa.





We were only gone from home for 24 hours, but it felt like much longer. We came home fully refreshed and rested. Twenty years of marriage has never felt better!!

Fun Monday

Kitten is our wonderful hostess this week.....thanks so much for volunteering Kitten!!! Here assignment is the following:

Tell me about the Super Hero in your life. Not from TV, but anyone that has been or is in your life that you have really looked up to or has made a impact on your life. It can one or many. You can share pictures if you like. Just have fun with it.

I have thought and thought about this all week and one person's name keeps popping up in my mind.....My friend Kim. Kim passed away last month after battling cancer for years. She was an incredible woman and taught me so much. She made friends everywhere she went. Her outlook on life was always positive, even at the end of her life. She hated gossip and stayed clear of it. She gave everyone the benefit of the doubt and was very slow to judge. I tend to be the opposite, but she taught me to see the world in a different way. Whenever I start to criticize or judge people, I hear Kim's voice in my head....my perspective changes. She influenced me in her life and is continuing to influence me after her death.

At her funeral, the church was completely full, standing room only. Our church is not small. As I was relaying this to my neighbor she said to me...."I want to live like that!" She is absolutely correct, we all should live like that.


My Super Hero is Kim....I admired her in her life, the way she lived it, her philosophy, her open and friendly demeanor.....she has changed my thoughts and my perspective tremendously.


To learn about other Super Heroes please visit Kitten's place for the list..

An Award and a Meme

Cyndy, the incredible sweetheart that she is, gave me this gorgeous award last week. Thank you so much Cyndy, you make me day also with all your sweet comments.

I am going to pass this award onto my blogging friends who also make my day:

Jennifer

Debbie

ChrisB

ConverseMomma

Kim

Chrys

Melissa

Jan

Mamarazzi

Irene

Beth

Kathryn

Stella

Karisma

Swampy

Joeprah

All of you make me day with you kind and loving comments.....thank you for all you encouragement and bloggy love!!!

Rose tagged me with this wonderful Meme:

Here are the rules:

You are about to send a virtual Message In a Bottle across the Blog Ocean. Leave a message in the sand or on the bottle. Write anything you wish. Be a pirate or a poet. Serious or silly. Anonymous or not.
What message would you like to send out to the universe?

Message In A Bottle Meme

1. Compose a message to place in your virtual bottle

2. Right click and Save the graphic below

3. Use a graphics program of your choice to place the message on the picture

4. Post the meme and these rules on your blog

5. Return your "Message In a Bottle" to me via email ~ mimiwrites2005 at yahoo.com, sign the Mr. Linky below and leave a comment HERE telling me you've finished. IF YOU WANT YOUR MESSAGE TO BE ANONYMOUS PLEASE SAY SO.

6. Tag a minimum of five people - or your entire blogroll - to do the same. Notify them of the tag.

Here is mine.... I am not going to tag anyone...if you do it, please let me know.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Friday Funny

A woman went to a pet shop and immediately spotted a large, beautiful parrot. There was a sign on the cage that said $50.00.


'Why so little?' she asked the pet store owner.



The owner looked at her and said, 'Look, I should tell you first that this bird used to live in a house of prostitution, and sometimes it says some pretty vulgar stuff.'



The woman thought about this, but decided she had to have the bird anyway.
She took it home and hung the bird's cage up in her living room and waited for it to say something.
The bird looked around the room, then at her, and said,
'New house, new Madam.'


The woman was a bit shocked at the implication, but then thought that's really not so bad.
When her two teenage daughters returned from school, the bird saw them and said,
'New house, new Madam, new Girls.'



The girls and the woman were a bit offended but then began to laugh about the situation considering how and where the parrot had been raised.
Moments later, the woman's husband Keith came home from work.
The bird looked at him and said,

“Hi Keith!”



Have a wonderful Friday.