We're Still Alive

We're having a great time on vacation. Alex is having a great time with my parents - and having fun on the beach and in the pool.

The internet access here is not very good. I've been able to keep up with most of the blogs, but I can't always comment.

I also can't upload any pictures!

Alex and I come home on Saturday. I hope everyone is having a great week!!

...And We're Off!!

I hope eveyone had a great Thanksgiving! We are packing up today and hit the air tomorrow to start our vacation. I'll be taking my computer and camera, so I should be blogging next week.

I was inspired by Kerry to take a video of Alex saying some of his words.

Enjoy!!

Book Ideas?

We are doing MUCH better at our house! I'm so glad my Alex is back and that demon child has moved on. :) I ended up taking Alex back to the doctor on Saturday as I was afraid the antibiotics weren't working. Turns out they were - his ear was clear - but he was also fighting some sort of virus.

My Buckeyes beat Michigan on Saturday - Oh Happy Day!!!

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good book? I want to get a book to take on vacation (as my parents will pretty much kidnap Alex and I actually might have some time to myself). I like just about anything. It can be adoption/parenting related, or just light fluff.

Help Me!!!

Ode to my Cough Medicine

Oh how I love you my sweet elixir of sleep. How you knock me out and keep me from coughing. How you allow me to sleep all night without waking up, my dear dear friend.

Yes, I took my cough medicine last night and it was the most wonderful thing ever!! I slept from 9:00-8:30. :)

Alex is still not doing very good. I think he now has a sinus infection going on. (poor boy)

And the last thing I have to say is:

GO BUCKS!!

BEAT MICHIGAN!!!!

Quick Update

My week as a single mom has been very trying!!

Last week I ended up with this crud that's going around. My symptoms have mostly been a horrible cough and general exhaustion.

So, Jay left Sunday morning. I had to both teach Sunday School and play piano for church. Alex did pretty good. We then went out to eat after church, Alex slept on the way home and then decided to not finish his nap.

Monday - around 7:00 that evening Alex came over and crawled in my lap. He had a fever - 102. I gave him Motrin, but we had a rough night. Between Alex being restless, the cat wanting in and out, and my coughing, I didn't get to sleep until 3:30 am - and then was up at 5:30!!

Tuesday morning - Alex still had a fever but wasn't showing any other symptoms of anything. I was a bad mommy. I gave him some Motrin and sent him to daycare. I got a phone call at 1:45 that he had a 102 fever. By the time I got to daycare it had gone up to 104. I was able to get into the doctor right away. Ear infection in one ear.

Today - I debated and debated this morning about sending him to daycare so I could go to work. I just couldn't do it! So, I was home again today.

Alex is doing better. In fact, I didn't even have to give him any Motrin before putting him to bed. I hate it when he is sick. He's just not himself!! I wish I could say the same thing about myself. I need to sleep - and I need to take my cough medicine - but I can't do that until Jay gets home. (my cough medicine knocks me out and makes me loopy!!)

Jay is home tomorrow night - and I can't wait!!!

Florida Anyone?

I know that many of my blogger buddies live in Florida. I've not paid a lot of attention to exactly where everyone is - and my geography is horrible anyway. :)

Are any of you from the Ft Myers/Naples area? If so, please email me. kimhartz@hotmail.com

(we are going to be there in a couple of weeks)

We are also in our official days of mourning at our house. Our beloved Buckeyes lost to Illinois this weekend, so we are no longer #1 and will not be playing for the National Championship. I'm a little disappointed. We really weren't supposed to have a good team this year - it's just that everyone else kept losing and we kept winning.

The thing I think I'm most upset about is that my boss (Hi K.!!) is a LSU fan, and we were going to try to get together to watch the game if they played each other for the National Championship. :)

The BIG GAME is Saturday - Noon - at the Big House (Michigan). The whole season will be worth it if we beat Michigan.

I'm also a single mom this week as Jay is out of town. We'll see how I do. (and yes - for all of the single moms who read this - I'm a big baby!!) Alex decided it was no nap Sunday again today, so it's been a good start!! :) The worst part is taking care of the horses. Not that it's that difficult - but I have to try to work that into my day both morning and night - with an 18 month old!!

Can you believe that we're only a week and a half from Thanksgiving?? Where has the fall gone?!?!?

I still have some pictures on my camera I need to get off. Here are a couple that my father in law took at Halloween. Papa (as Alex started calling him) came and spent a week and a half with us. It was nice to have him here. He started working on our basement. We are putting in a bathroom, kitchenette/bar and family room.

(Ok - Blogger won't let me put pictures up - I'll try later)

Can You Help?

Two of my blogger buddies are trying to help out two more of my blogger buddies.

Krystal and Sig are both working on unexpected adoptions.

Krystal and her husband adopted a boy from Guatemala, had a bio baby girl, and started an adoption of a second son from Guatemala. This child also had a bio brother that was going to be adopted by another family. That family thought it would be important for the brothers to stay together so Krystal's family had the opportunity to adopt both boys. This was an unexpected additional expense. They are doing everything they can to raise the money for these two adoptions.

Sig's family also just finished the adoption of their daughter (to join their bio kids) and just found out that they can adopt a beautiful girl from Azerbaijan. They attempted to adopt Tarana a couple years ago, but at the time it just wasn't going to work. They are also doing everything they can to pay for this adoption.

Julia and Holly are sponsoring an amazing raffle. Please check out their websites to learn more about these great families and see what they are giving away.

If you have the opportunity, please consider giving what you can. All proceeds will be split between Krystal and Sig. I've had the privilege of meeting Krystal and her family (they live not too far from me) and her children at home are beautiful and I'm sure Gerson and Elviz will fit right in. (I haven't had the opportunity to meet Sig in person, but she has a huge heart with a lot of love to give!!) These are amazing families that are just trying to give three amazing kids a forever family.

And if you can't give any money, please keep these families in your prayers as they work to bring these kids home.

Crying....

I'm sorry I've been MIA for the past couple of weeks.

I've been crying and grieving a lot recently - for Alex's birthmom. I don't know why I'm doing this now - and not when we brought him home - or at his first birthday.

I had my first breakdown at the end of August. I was telling Alex his adoption story (like I try to do quite frequently) and I just starting bawling and couldn't stop. I know that this is a normal process and I just have to work through it but it's been hard.

All I think of is what a great, amazing, smart, funny, loveable kid Alex is and how she is missing this. I feel guilty that I get to experience this - that I'm the one that gets to read him books, hear his first words, tuck him in at night - mostly because there isn't a social network in Guatemala that would have supported H. in keeping him.

I was doing pretty good until yesterday. For the first time in about 9 months I was listening to our local Christian Music Station. A song came on that I immediately recognized as a Mark Schultz song. I knew he had a new album that had just been released. And then I listened to the song. I almost had to pull over I was crying so hard.

The song name is "Everything to Me." Mark Schultz was adopted and this is a love song to his birthmom. A way to let her know that he's had a good life and he's so grateful that she gave *him* life.

I just pray that H. understands how much we appreciate her and the gift she gave us.

If you haven't seen it/heard it - here's the video. I suggest you have Kleenex ready.