Pictures

My mommy says I'm cute all the time. But, she thinks I'm really cute when I'm sleeping.

I remember this day. Mommy got me up from my nap, and I was still kind of sleepy. I still had my pacifier in my mouth, but look - mommy gave me my favorite - puffs!!

Humm....now usually I can just pick up a puff and put it in my mouth. Something isn't right here. (and why is my mommy laughing and taking pictures of me??)

Hey!! I'm a happy guy. Take my picture mommy!

Here's my latest trick. I can suck on my bottom lip. Mommy says it makes me look like I'm not very smart, but I think it's pretty fun to do.

Mommy, your jokes are hilarious! I had no idea that you were that funny. Tell me another one.

Ok - that one wasn't very funny. How about I tell you one?

So this rabbi, a priest and a penguin go into a bar......

Ok - mommy, I'm done with the jokes. Can I just go to bed now?

Mommy, I MEAN it! I want to go to bed NOW!!!!

When the Baby is a Rocking....

........he's about ready to crawl. (Ok - I know that there are some sickos out there that didn't think that's what I was going to say!!!)

I think the play date with Landon on Saturday has paid off. Alex is now getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth. He's only been able to move backwards (a little bit) and hasn't figured out how to move himself forward, but it shouldn't be long now.

I've also called the rest of the daycares in our area, and no other ones take kids on a part time basis, so I guess my decision is going to be made for me. :)

I'm going to try to download some more pictures tomorrow. I got some good ones. :)

My Secret Blog Pal!

I think I have the best Secret Blog Pal (although she's not so secret!)

Her name is Tracy. She comments on my blog, has sent me an ecard, a couple of emails, and I got a present in the mail this weekend.

It's a wonderful baby book in a Noah's Ark theme. It's wonderful and I love it!

You can check out Tracy's blog by clicking here .

I also think we need a new picture of Alex. :)

The Joy of Friends

Today two of my friends came by for a visit - Debbie, Kirsten and Kirsten's son Landon. I work with Debbie and Kirsten used to work with us. Landon is only a couple months older than Alex.

We had a great time. We ate, let the kids play, caught up and just had a wonderful time. It reminded me, again, how wonderful it is to have great friends. Love you guys!!

Alex had a blast "playing" with Landon (if you can call what a 7 and 10 month old do playing together) Alex thought Landon was pretty cool. I think he was checking out that crawling thing that Landon was doing. Maybe he'll figure it out now. Alex completely missed his afternoon nap and fell asleep in my arms at around 3:00. He slept until around 6:15 - he was tired from all of the playing! We had a great day.

I Made Progress and our First Post Placement

I'm back!!! I made a number of phone calls yesterday to a couple of day care centers. A couple of them that I called don't take part time kids. I did find two that do. I actually went and visited them yesterday also. I liked both of them, although I liked one more than the other. I have a few more to call on Monday before I make a decision. I feel a little better now - but I still am not looking forward to putting him in day care.

We went to Owensboro today for our first post-placement meeting. (Hi Jeannie and Marie!!!) We took Alex to them so that both Jeannie and Marie could see him. This was Alex's longest car ride - 2 1/2 hours one way. He did pretty good on the way there, but then screamed for the last 45 minutes. It was fun!

We had fun playing with Jeannie and Marie - and of course Alex put on a show. He fell asleep within 5 minutes of being back in the care - slept through our lunch - and slept the WHOLE WAY HOME!!!

It was nice to see Jeannie and Marie again. They are WONDERFUL ladies that do a great job helping families bring their children home. If any of you reading this live in Kentucky and are thinking about adoption, give Jeannie and Marie a call at Mary Kendall Adoption Agency. I have a link on my main page. Love you guys!!

I'm In Denial

I'm sitting here - 3 1/2 weeks until I go back to work - and still don't have child care.

I have a list of places in our county - I haven't made one phone call yet.

I'm finding other things to do. I even just emptied the dishwasher......all to avoid making those phone calls.

Ok - I'm not going to allow myself to blog again until I get all of the phone calls made and the list narrowed down.

I guess you'll hear from me again in January!! :)

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas.....

Mom and I put up our two Christmas trees on Friday. We put up our "big" (it's really not that big) one in our front room. This room is supposed to be a dining room, but it's my piano room. It has a front window, and I love having a Christmas tree in the front window.

Here's the tree during the day.

Here's the tree at night lit up!!

Our second tree is much smaller and pre-lit! We just put some small ornaments on it (including a number of Baby's First Christmas ornaments we received as presents)

We also took Alex to see Santa on Saturday. We live in a very small town in the middle of horse country. (I'll have to go out and take pictures of our horses and post them!) We have a store in our town called Metzger's Country Store. It's a combination pet food/tack/feed/knick-knack store. It has a little bit of everything. I noticed that they were going to have Santa at the store on Saturday to have pictures taken with your kid or pets. I thought it would be better than going all the way into the mall. Boy was I right!!

They had a great set up, and wonderful Santa - and we were able to pick the pictures up within 30 minutes. Alex wasn't scared of Santa at all. (unlike his dad!) He kept wanting to look at him. It took some doing to get this picture. (I had to take pictures with my camera of the pictures we got to get them digital!)

But of course I had to get this picture also!

The Lady at Wal-Mart

I've been waiting for that day when a complete stranger (or maybe an acquaintance) makes a rude, or uninformed comment to me about Alex. I'm prepared. I've been working on my responses, I've read what others have had to deal with, Jay and I have discussed what our reactions will be.

I don't think I've gotten any comments yet since, at this time, Alex is so light complected.

So - yesterday I was at Wal-Mart. (Ok - some of you think it's very red-neck to be at Wal-Mart. It's not my favorite place, but it's the closest for me. If I need to go pick up a few things I can drive 5 minutes to Wal-Mart of 20 minutes to Target) I was looking at the children's clothes. This lady just starts talking to me. Not polite small talk that two strangers looking at the same kid's clothes might exchange, but chatting with me like she was my best friend.

Now - I'm a very outgoing person and have yet to meet a stranger - but she was kind of freaking me out. Of course she started commenting on Alex and how cute he is. (but of course she did, since he's the cutest kid EVER!) She then proceeded to tell me all about her grandchildren (four boys and a girl).

I was just waiting. I was for sure that she was going to be the one - she was going to ask me something inappropriate.....I was ready!!!

As she was telling me more about her wonderful new granddaughter, she said, "My daughter and son-in-law adopted her from Guatemala." (with a twinkle in her eye) I must have had a pretty shocked look on my face - and told her that Alex was adopted from Guatemala also. She smiled and said, "I thought so - but didn't want to come out and ask." She then proceeded to show me pictures of her granddaughter (who, by the way, is really cute). She and Alex are about 2 weeks apart in age and they came home within two weeks of each other.

So - I guess I learned my lesson today - not all annoying women in Wal-Mart are inappropriate!

I'm the Happiest Mommy in the World!!!!!

One of the important things when adopting a child is making sure that your child becomes attached and bonded to you. There are lots of books - lots of ideas - lots of things to try. You talk to people and you hear lots of ways to make sure that your child is bonded to you.

I've taken a modified approach. I've done some things that the "experts" say you are supposed to do, but I haven't gone to the extreme.

That said, I've been worried about Alex's attachment to me. I've been his main caregiver for the past 8 weeks. But - he's such a good kid. He hardly ever crys, he's happy all the time, and he's a major flirt. I keep asking Jay if we are raising a future serial killer!

I was playing with Alex tonight on the floor. Jay came in the room and got down on the floor to play with him. I left the room, and Alex started crying. I came back in the room, he turned around, saw me and reached for me!!!!

I can't begin to explain how happy this made me feel!!!! I was just about crying. How is it possible that my child crying can make me so happy?????

Ok - I'm Going to Try This

For those of you who know me, you know that I sing. My parents joke that I was singing before I was talking. I would sing just about anything, but most of my singing has been done at church.

I've been in lots of choirs - high school, county honors, regional honors, Interlochen, college, church. I've also been in some musicals. I enjoy singing.

I sang at my wedding, my brother's wedding, and - this weekend - I sang at Alex's baptism.

Here's the video of my song. The video quality isn't great, but the audio quality is pretty good.

So - I'm putting myself out there in blog land. Be kind!!!

Big Week

We've had a big week. My parents came into town on Tuesday for a convention. Alex and I went into Louisville to see them on Tuesday, mom, Alex and I went shopping ALL day on Wednesday (and I mean all day - Alex slept 20 minutes), my mom, dad and brother came over to our house Wednesday night, mom and dad brought the RV to our house on Thursday afternoon, mom, Alex and I went grocery shopping on Friday, my brother and sis-in law came to our house on Saturday and Alex was baptized today. Unfortunately Jay's mom wasn't feeling well, so they didn't make the trip down yesterday. We missed them today!!

Alex was a real trooper all week. He's sleeping and eating schedule was way off, but he did great. The baptism went well. I sang - if I have the nerve, I may post the video of me singing. I got through it without a problem.

So, as we are up front at church Alex decides to be a flirt. He was looking back at everyone in the choir and making faces at them. He has also learned how to fake cough, so he was doing that. He had everyone cracking up.

It's amazing how much I love this kid! He's just the coolest thing ever!!


Here are some pictures from today.

Here's Alex leaning all the way back. He kept doing this and cracking up the congregation.

Alex getting baptized.

Alex wasn't so sure about this lady putting water on his head! Here he is pushing Rev. Claudia's hand away.

I LOVE - LOVE - LOVE this picture!!!!

Here's my family. Jay and I are in the middle - my brother and sis-in-law on the left and my parents on the right.

Pictures

I've downloaded some more pictures!

Do you think he might be a rapper some day??

Here's Alex all ready for the Ohio State vs. Michigan game.

Here are pictures of Alex's first trip to the park. He actually really liked the swings - we just didn't get any pictures of him where he looks like he's having fun!

Alex likes to play with his toys - so Jay decided to put him IN with his toys. He thought this was pretty cool.

One of the guys Jay works with, Jeff, graduated from Notre Dame. He got Alex this sweatshirt. You can sort of see Alex's teeth in this picture.

Random Thoughts

• Did you know that you get a lot more attention at Kroger when you have a baby? It used to be that I could go in, get my stuff and leave without anyone making eye contact with me. Now that I have a kid, everyone (ok - maybe not everyone) wants to stop and look at Alex. Of course everyone says he's the cutest thing ever. People make eye contact with me and smile. You know - I used to do the same thing - especially when we were TTC - I would look at ever kid I came across.
• Why do they design crib/crib sets in such a way that it's impossible to change the crib sheets without it being a big deal? Alex has not leaked at all since we brought him home, and he leaked after two of his naps yesterday. It took us FOREVER to get his crib sheets changed!
• How do single parents do it? I've been battling a bulged disk in my neck for the past year. It's been pretty well under control - until this weekend. I don't know what I did, but my neck started killing me Saturday afternoon. I've been a mess. I'm in pain ALL THE TIME! I can barely pick Alex up. I went to the chiropractor today, and it helped, but I'm hurting now again. I even took a muscle relaxer last night - I hate taking muscle relaxers because they make me weird. Jay has really helped out. He did a lot of the feeding this weekend, and gave Alex a bath last night. He even stayed home from work for a little bit this morning so I could get to the doctor. How do single parents do it???? Maybe I'm just a big baby. I made Jay promise me last night that he wouldn't die or leave me anytime soon.
• How can my time off be going so quickly?? Do you realize that if I would have given birth to Alex when he came home, I'd be back at work - my 6 weeks of leave is up! That is SO not enough time!!! I'm glad we are just dealing with it so I can be off for a little longer.
• I visit a couple blogs every day. One of my favorites is Michelle's Blog. She is starting a secret blog pal thing. I'm thinking about signing up. It would be fun. I've always liked secret pal type things.

Here's a picture of Jay and Alex at the baby shower that Jay's work had for us. There's another picture of the three of us, but I look horrible, and since this is my blog, I'm not going to post it!

(Ok - Blogger won't let me post - I'll try later)

I'm Not a Good Blogger

On occasion, I go out into blog land and read blogs of people who are also adopting. I've discovered something - I'm a terrible blogger!

These people write almost every day - they post cute pictures of their kids - they ask interesting questions - they have insightful or funny posts.

I don't do any of that. So, for those of you who do check my blog on occasion - I'm sorry I'm not more interesting!

Thanksgiving

What a Thanksgiving - we have a lot to give thanks for!!

Jay's mom and dad came to town Wednesday night. We then all went over to Kelly and Michelle's for thanksgiving dinner. We had a great time. Alex was wonderful - of course!

His two front teeth are really coming in now. He's also figured out how to get the Gerber puffs into his mouth by himself.

I think Grandma Linda and Butch enjoyed their grandson.

The weather here has just been wonderful lately, so Jay and I took Alex to the park this afternoon. We put him on the swings and then went for a walk. I think he had a good time.

We're Getting Teeth!

Ever since we went to get Alex, he has been chewing on everything. Well - yesterday it started to happen - Alex's two bottom front teeth are starting to poke through.

They aren't up much, but there is definintely two little white things there. It's pretty cute.

He's still a dream. He's just such a happy guy. He's really starting to play and interact. He also likes to stand up (with help, of course!) and he LOVES Jay. It's pretty sick. :)

National Championship, Baby!

GO BUCKS!!!

In case you haven't heard, Ohio State beat TTUN and is now 12-0, Outright Big Ten Champions, Troy Smith will win the Heisman, and we are going to the National Championship!!!

What a great day!!! Now we just have to wait and see what team we will play. It's been a good year.

I Apologize

I'm sorry it's been so long since I posted. My mom came and I kind of got side tracked.

The good news is that I finally downloaded all of Alex's pictures to my computer, so I have some new ones to post.

Here's a picture parade!!

Here's Alex on Election Day. As many of you know, Jay works in politics, and election day is always a very important day in our house. I thought the outfit was appropriate.




Jay and I met at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. Jay was a part of the Ashbrook Center there which is a Conservative think-tank. Jay sent the folks there pictures of Alex when we brought him home, and they sent him a sweatshirt, hat and the Eagle. (the Ashland mascot is the Eagle) I LOVE this picture.




Here's Alex in his room sitting in his chair. If you notice in the background, the border is UP!! Mom and I did that on Monday. We had no idea what we were doing, but it's fairly straight and it's staying up!



Here's another picture of Alex playing in his room.



Since everyone that works in politics works for (or is associated with) a particular political party, I guess you can guess which one Jay works for by this next picture. The animal is thanks to Alex's Uncle Chris and Aunt Jaimie (my brother and sis-in-law). He LOVES it. It's bigger than he is!!



This picture is a perfect example of Alex's personality. He is just a hoot and loves to laugh. You can see his cars in this picture. My cousin Laura sent these to him this week, and he can't get enough of them. It makes Grandpa Jack very happy to see his grandson playing with cars!

I Was Childless Yesterday

Jay had the day off of work yesterday. (It was the observed day for Veteran's Day) He decided that he wanted to go to his tailor with his friend to get some pants taken in and talk to him about making a custom suit. Our tailor (and his wife) are originally from Guatemala. Jay wanted to take Alex in as we've been talking to them about our adoption.

So, Jay packed Alex up and took him! I had the whole house to myself for about 3 hours. I guess they went to the tailor, to visit our friend's office, to lunch and then to Kroger. I guess Alex did wonderful.

It was hard for me to not worry........Jay had never put him in the car before, never had to haul him around, never had to figure out how to put the carrier on the shopping cart. Now, my husband is a very smart man. He has his Master's degree - he graduated from college with honors - he reads really boring history and political books. Why did I not think he could handle a 6 month old???? :) He told me not to worry.

I guess they had a great time. I got to take a long shower and a nap. It was nice.

Post about Jay

Ok - I've heard that a couple of you who read the blog could care less about my kid. How is that possible? I have the cutest, bestest, most smartest kid in the world. :)

I understand that some of you come here hoping that I'll write about Jay. I'm not sure what you want to know - but I'll gladly write all kinds of stuff about him. He never reads the blog, so he will never know!!

I can tell you one thing - I think he's getting old. He's gone to bed early every night this week. He even went to bed before the Louisville vs Rutgers game was over!! I know it's not Ohio State - but gosh - we basically live in Louisville. Plus - the game had huge National Championship implications. He just got up and went to bed. Then, when Alex woke up at 6:00 - he just stayed in bed....until 7:30!!! When did I become married to an old man?

Jay and little man are going to his new tailor today. He's from Guatemala and will make custom suits. He's going to find out how much one would cost to get made. I think I'm going to stay home and actually take a shower longer than 5 minutes.

Dreams

I have always had weird dreams. I mean pay-lots-of-money-to-a-highly-trained-professional-to-analyze-the-craziness weird dreams. Jay just usually shakes his head at me and probably wonders what my problem is.

Last night was different.

I have been wondering the past couple of days if I really do love this little guy. I'm enamored by him - think he's just the best kid every - but wasn't sure if it really was love. I've been questioning myself and wondered when I would know for sure.

I do now.

Last night I had a NIGHTMARE!! I can't remember the last time I had such a horrible dream. You know, the kind that makes you wake up and sit straight up? I had a nightmare that Alex died. It was HORRIBLE. I won't go into all of the details as it will just get me upset again. It was a very weird dream....many things in it would never (could never) happen.

I woke up with a start and sat straight up in bed. I was gulping breath....like I just couldn't breathe right. I then got out of bed and checked to make sure that Alex was still breathing. I then crawled back in bed and started bawling. Jay woke up and wasn't sure what was wrong with me. I couldn't stop crying, and I was afraid to go back to sleep.

I still can't get it out of my head. As horrible as it was, I think it was God's way of convincing me that I DO love this little man. I wish He would have found a different way to let me know.

Jay Still Has a Job

Well - we just got back from watching election results. The State Senate will look exactly the same as it did this past year....so Jay still has a job. It's really nice to know, since I already decided to go part time in January!! :)

The sad news is that Anne Northup lost her House seat. Anne is an adoptive mom and has helped many families in Kentucky bring their children home. She was a real advocate in Washington for all children, but especially for those that are adopted. I was really sad to see that she lost her race. Maybe she will now get involved in the adoption community in some other way.

I'm just glad that I can now breathe for another 2 years.

Alex went to vote with us today. As soon as I download the pictures, I'll post them here. He looked really cute today in a patriotic outfit.

Two Big Days - and VOTE

Well - we survived. Alex did great at church on Sunday. He was happy to be in his carrier for most of the service, but he did decide to chat it up during the prayer. :)

He ate his food just fine during fellowship dinner. We then came home and he slept for 2 1/2 hours. Then it was off to the birthday party. There were SO many people there - it was crazy.

Alex did great there also. He just watched the "big" kids and did get down on the floor and played. We stayed until about 7:00. He didn't get his evening nap. It's amazing how I can get him off of his schedule, and he still does so well.

Monday, I took him into my work. Here was another day where he was WAY off in feeding and naps. He still did great. I think that Jay and I are in trouble when Alex gets older. He is just too good right now.

He also started waving bye-bye. He doesn't know what he's doing, but he's discovered that he can wave his fingers separately, so it's his new trick.

Also - Don't forget to vote today! If you don't vote - you can't complain.

Reaction

Well - I think Alex had a reaction to one of his vaccines. He was very cranky yesterday, had a slightly elevated temperature, and slept a lot.

He's sleeping right now, and we are going to church for the first time today. It's going to be a big day. We have church, fellowship dinner and then Sarah and Zach's birthday party this afternoon.

I think he's feeling better today so hopefully everything will go ok.

Jay had a good time at the Breeder's Cup, but we both still have to work! :)

Today's and the Doctor

We went to Alex's regular pediatrician today. She also said he's perfect. :)

We decided to pull titers to check for his immunity before we start redoing his immunizations. I wasn't sure about this, as it means needing to draw a lot of blood.

He did get a couple of shots today, and we sort of paid for it tonight. He was very cranky and went to bed early.

He also tried Squash today and loved it more than Sweat Potatoes and Green Beans!!

Jay is going to the Breeder's Cup tomorrow - he should have a good time, but it's going to be cold.

Halloween Video

Here's a little video from our Halloween trip to the zoo. You may just want to turn the volume down or off. Jay is talking on his cell phone, I'm mumbling about something, and there is a lot of background noise. Alex isn't talking yet, so he doesn't say anything interesting. :)

I Was Worth The Wait

I don't know what list I'm on, but I get all kinds of catalogs now. I actually don't mind it since some of the catalogs are kind of cool.

We just got one for a company called Uncommon Goods (www.uncommongoods.com). I love this company. They have really unique items - kind of those things to get someone who has everything.

They have this onsie/hat combo.

It's kind of hard to see, but it says "I was worth the wait"

How cool is that????? I guess this would work for people who have adopted, who have had infertility problems, or just someone who waited until later in life to have kids.

I'm debating on getting it for Alex. The largest size is 6-12 months. With winter coming up, I'm only putting short sleeve onsies on him underneath his outfits because he would get too cold. I may not be able to help myself.

Alex and the Zoo

Yesterday afternoon, my friend Michelle called me and said she was getting ready to walk out the door to take her kids to the zoo for the Halloween Party. She wanted to know if we wanted to go. I debated for about 10 seconds and then thought - why not?

So, Jay and I had about 5 minutes to pack the diaper bag, grab the stroller, grab his Halloween outfit (which I hadn't even tried on him yet) and grab Alex and go.

I think everyone else in Louisville (and the surrounding 5 counties) had the same idea we did. It was PACKED!!! We also met up with our friends Cindy, Gary, their two kids and Cindy's parents. (Cindy and Gary recently moved away from our community, and we miss them!!)

Once we got through the crazy crowds, it really was a nice night. The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast. (we had an 8 year old boy, 7 year old girl (I hope that's right!), almost 6 year old girl, 15 month boy, almost 12 month boy and Alex) Alex actually had a pretty good time. He just hung out in the stroller in his outfit eating the zebra that's attached to his stroller. He was excellent and didn't make a peep the entire time. He just watched everyone and everything.

Afterwards we stopped by our friend's house which is right by the zoo. Riggs and Alicia also adopted a little boy from Guatemala about 3 years ago. Their kids were in bed by the time we stopped, but they have been a great support during this crazy journey.

Here are some pictures.

Daylight Savings Time

I used to love "falling back" in October. I got an extra hour of sleep....or I could stay up until 11:00 and not feel the effects. (Yes - I go to bed at 10:00....yes, I'm a dork)

Now - I have a kid and I hate daylight savings time.

Alex got up at 2:30, 4:30, 5:00, and I just fed him and laid him back down. He's not asleep yet, but I know he's tired.

That's why I'm blogging at 6:00 in the morning!!!

On a side note, he's laying in his crib right now going mamamamamama. Maybe I can get him to call me mama before he says dada.

Alex's Political and Football Career

Alex has been in the country for almost 2 weeks, and he's almost 6 months old......and he's done his first political thing.

Jay and I "walked" our precinct for our current State Representative who is up for re-election. (I say "walked" as there is no walking our precinct - it's driving from house to house) Alex went with us and was a real trooper. We went during his mid-morning nap, so he slept through most of it. He got a little cranky at the end, but we were almost done.

Alex also saw his first Ohio State game - which we won - BIG TIME. Well, actually, he really didn't see it - he slept through the first half and then was Chief Rotten Pants for the second half.

(He also went to church this morning for the Pancake Breakfast - it was a big day!)

Alex Eating

Jay took some video of Alex eating tonight. He loves to eat!! Alex also got his first visit to Wal-Mart. I guess he is a real American now.

We Don't Have TB!!

Well, Alex doesn't have TB. I took him to Jay's doctor today to have his arm prick read and it was negative.

He's done well with his naps again today. I just put him down and he went to sleep. He's sleeping right now, but I think he's getting ready to get up.....and little earlier than I want.

Tomorrow is going to be a big day. We are going up to church to the Annual Pancake Breakfast, and then we are going to drive Jay around so he can go door to door for our State Representative. We'll see how that goes.

Video Test

I'm testing a site that will allow me to put video on my blog. I may be editing this post to make it work. This is a video we took of Alex on our visit trip.

We Like Green Beans!!

We tried green beans this afternoon. It wasn't what he was expecting, so he spit out the first spoonful, but after that just ate - ate - ate!! I think we are going to have a big eater on our hands!

I also tried putting him in his crib for naps without putting him to sleep in my arms. It's worked!! I have to catch him as he is starting to get tired, but not overtired. This morning he went right to sleep. This afternoon, he cried a little bit. When he did, I'd just go in, put his pacifier back in his mouth, comfort him and then leave. I think he understands that I'm not going anywhere and I'll be there for him, but he's also learning that he can go to sleep by himself.

He's down right now for his third nap. I'm going to try to start getting him on a schedule.

Mommy Brain

Ok - I officially had my first case of mommy brain yesterday.

So, yesterday was the first time (except for the embassy appointment) that I had to get myself, Alex (and sort of Jay) ready to go early in the morning. We wanted to leave by 8:00. Alex has no schedule, so I wasn't sure what he was going to do. I got everything I could prepared the night before. I packed the diaper bag - made sure I had plenty of diapers, wipes, a change of clothes, toys, blankets, and bottles. I made sure that I had all of the paperwork that we received from Guatemala that the doctor might be interested in. I had Alex's clothes picked out. I had his morning bottle made. I had my clothes picked out.

So, the morning comes, and we are getting ready. I had about 15 minutes to get ready. I grabbed my clothes, socks and shoes. Out the door we went.

We get to the parking garage, get Alex out of the car, and start walking into the building. Something wasn't right. I didn't know what it was, but it was bothering me. Then I looked down.

I had two different shoes on!!!! I have two pairs of brown leather slides that are pretty similar. I obviously picked up one of each kind of shoe. (amazingly different feet!) It wasn't totally obvious. Someone would have to really be staring at my fee to notice it. The problem for me is that they have slightly different soles, so I was walking slightly off all day.

I'm sure that was the first of many times I'll be doing something like that!!

Alex and the Doctor

Well, we took Alex to the International Adoption Pediatrician today. This is the doctor that has been going over Alex's medical updates since we got his referral.

It was a big day for Alex. We had a 1 1/2 hour drive to Lexington (and had to leave early). He then got weighed, measured, etc. Dr. Taylor then gave him a physical and asked us lots of questions about his developmental milestones.

As we already knew - he was declared perfect. :) He then had a TB test and they had to draw about 5 tubes of blood. That was an experience. They couldn't find a vein, and the first time they stuck him, it didn't work. He SCREAMED!!! It was horrible. He promptly went to sleep when we got back in the car.

On the way home we decided to stop at Jay's work so they could see him. It was a little earlier than I had originally planned, but he loved it. (He's a ham, and I think he likes the attention)

He's asleep already - but it was a big day!

Pictures

Here are some pictures we've taken over the past week.

We go to the International Adoption Pediatrician tomorrow morning. This will be Alex's first big outing.

Grey's Anatomy

I LOVE Grey's Anatomy. I mean LOVE. I think it's the greatest show I've watched in a long time. I love watching it, I love talking to people about it, I love the characters, I love the writing...I think you get the picture.

When we were waiting the 6 hours in the Dallas airport on our way to Guatemala, I went into one of the bookstores to get some snacks. I found a Grey's Anatomy book. The premise is that half of it is written by Joe - the bartender, and half is written by Debbie - one of the nurses. It's supposed to tell the stories from their perspectives.

I bought it and was so excited to start reading it.

IT IS HORRIBLE!!!! HORRIBLE!!!! I've never read anything this bad before. I'm not sure who actually wrote it as there is no "author," but I think this person didn't make it past 2nd grade in terms of their writing skills. I just can't believe I spent money on this thing.

The worst part is that I have a hard time not finishing a book - even if I don't like it. (I also have to finish watching a tv show, movie, etc. even if I don't really like it - Jay thinks I like closure) I keep picking the book up and reading a few more pages. I'm not sure what I'm expecting. Do I expect that the book is magically going to get better?

Fair warning to all of you GA fans - don't buy this book!!

Success!!

I've been trying to feed Alex some rice cereal all week. He hasn't gagged, but he hasn't like it.

Yesterday I tried again, and he actually let me feed it to him. He even opened his mouth every now and then. Jay and I just tried again today, and he ate the whole bowl!! He was laughing through the whole thing, but I think he actually got some in his stomach.

Now - if he could just find some sort of a schedule it would make me happy. He's only taken two naps today - one for an hour and one for 30 minutes!! He's very tired, but he won't go to bed.

My Church Shower

The day before we left for Guatemala, the ladies at church had a shower for us. This was actually planned in advance, and we just got lucky that it wasn't for while we were gone.

My friend Michelle was one of the coordinators. We had wonderful food, great fellowship, and we did play one game. (I can't stand shower games, but this one wasn't bad. We had a list of famous men that we had to match up with what they did. Of course the history teacher got them all right!)

Michelle then got a group of candy bars out. I had seen this done at other showers. There is a little story you tell and names of candy bars are used and help up when you get to that part of the story. I thought, "Oh, isn't that nice - but how will she make this work with the adoption." Little did I know that she wrote the story herself. Needless to say, I was crying by the end of it. Here it is for your enjoyment. (the names of the candy bars are highlighted)

One fine day Kim and Jay came over with some M*AZING news. "WE are going to adopt a baby," said Kim. WE were all so excited, knowing that Kim and Jay would make great parents. The next thing we knew, Kim was off on a FAST BREAK filling out paperwork and cleaning closets. After the home study, which they didn't even inspect those spotless closets, the waiting began. Then one day, the agency called and said, "we have a boy." Although I wasn't there, I'm sure Kim let out an EXTRA loud yell. However, she played it cool and didn't accept the referral in the same phone call. They did accept and soon were sharing pictures of their little guy. Well of course the next question was WHATCHAMACALLIT? That's slang in Kentucky for "what will his name be?" Alex Diego H* was chosen and off shopping Kim went. More time then passed, during which a blog was created, a visit trip to Guatemala was taken and even more shopping was done. Then the call came - come get this kid. Ok - maybe not in that way, but close enough.

Now we gather here today to celebrate with Kim and shower her with gifts for little Alex. Thank you all for coming and being a LIFESAVER in helping to get everything ready.

So Kim, as you prepare to bring home this wonderful little boy, remember we are here for you and so excited for you. Although I have to say, Kelly sometimes still SNICKERS at the thought of Jay changing diapers and that you probably won't be getting those Saturday and Sunday naps anymore, but that's just because he's jealous. Just remember it is you who will get the last laugh with the PAYDAY of a tax deduction, priceless memories and being a part of a this special child's life. We wish you the best! Enjoy! Here's to the new THREE MUSKETEERS!

Alex and Laughing

Alex has a great little giggle. We were able to make him laugh on our visit trip, and he's laughing even more now. Some things just crack him up, but he's also very ticklish. My mom, Jay and I have all been able to make him giggle.

Monday night, my friend, Michelle, her parents, and all three of her kids (Tyler - 8, Sarah - almost 6, and Zack - almost 1 year) came over to meet Alex. Tyler and Sarah started playing with him, and he just cracked up. We aren't sure if it's what Tyler was doing (playing with a stuffed animal) or if it was just Tyler, but we've never seen Alex laugh like that. He was practically hyperventalating. It was hilarious!!

Here are a couple pictures Jay took of him laughing.

Another Day

Well, we've made it through another day. Alex did well again today. He took three naps: 2 hours, 1 1/2 hours and 40 minutes. He went to bed early tonight (7:00) so I'm sure he won't sleep in as long as I would hope.

Jay was at work all day today, and then came home with food poisioning! It's been a fun night. :)

I'm feeling better. I'm still stuffed up, and the cold has settled in my chest a litte. My ears are also still stopped up from the plane ride. I hate being in airplanes with a cold. It takes so long for everything to clear up.

Here is a picture of one of Alex's not happy faces!!

Was I Really Good in a Past Life??

I must have been, because Alex is being really good!!

He went to bed last night at 8:00 and slept straight through until 6:30. I fed him, changed him, played a little bit, and then he went back down at 7:45. He's still sleeping. I would guess that he'll be up soon as he's been taking about an hour nap first thing in the morning, another short nap in the late morning and then about a 2 hour nap in the afternoon.

I'd really like to take a shower, but the way our bedroom/bathroom is, I'm afraid I'll wake him up. Jay had to go into work today, so I'm on my own.

We are going to take a car ride today. I need to run some food up to church this afternoon for a funeral dinner, so I think I'm going to put Alex in his car seat, drive up to church, drop the food off and then come home. He might as well start getting used to it.

IT HAPPENED!!!

Just a quick post.

Jay let me escape for a couple of hours this afternoon to go run some errands. Alex was asleep when I left. I called when I was about 20 minutes from home, and Alex was still sleeping.

When I got home, Alex was up and playing in his exersaucer. I asked him (Alex) if Daddy had checked to see if he needed a diaper change.

Not only did Jay check - but he CHANGED HIS DIAPER!!!!!!! His first one ever!!! And I wasn't there to see it. :)

Day One At Home

Well, we made it through our first 24 hours at home. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it last night. I was so tired...and so sick.....and a little overwhelmed by it all. I was definitely ready for bed!!

Alex went to bed around 9:00 last night and slept until 6:00. He took two little naps this morning, and then an over 2 hour nap this afternoon. He's been an absolute dream!!

Jay's parents left for home this afternoon and my parents are leaving tomorrow.

Here are some pictures from today.

We're Almost On Our Way Home

We leave early tomorrow morning to come home. Alex has been asleep since 5:45 tonight....in his clothes (not his jammies) so I know he'll have me up in the middle of the night.

We have to be up by 4:30 to get everything ready and be at the airport by 6:00!!

We only have about an hour and a half to get through customs and get to our connecting flight in Dallas. Please be thinking good thoughts for us around 2:00 Eastern tomorrow.

I don't know when I'll post next, but I promise it will be as soon as possible.

Today's Trip

We left at 9:00 today to go to Antigua. I was a little worried about how Alex would do as I've never had him outside of the hotel for this long.

He took a bottle just before we left, slept the hour long trip to Antigua, was as happy as could be all day, took a bottle during lunch, fell asleep in his carrier, woke up and was happy, and then fell asleep for a little bit on the way home. He was a dream!!

We went to two Jade Factories, a store that sold 100% cotton goods, the market, a wonderful restaurant and couple other touristy type stuff. We had a WONDERFUL guide who I would highly recommend.

We bought stuff for Alex, stuff for ourselves, and stuff for gifts. I'm trying to buy 18 little things to give to Alex every year on his Gottcha Day (October 11th). I have to get about 4 more things. We did get him a pair of beautiful black Jade cuff links. I'm thinking for this 18th birthday, or 21st or maybe a wedding present.

Mom has Alex right now, so I'm going to lay down for a little bit. He had me up at 4:30 this morning!!

Off to Antigua

Well - Alex was up again today at 4:30. He took a bottle and then played and laughed. I think he's a morning person. I'm SO not a morning person, so this should be interesting.

He's sleeping right now, and I'm off to get ready as we leave in about an hour and a half to head to Antigua. It's really cloudy today, but I hope the rain holds off so we can do some shopping.

Alex is still a very good baby - we are very lucky!

We're Official

We got Alex's Visa today! It was delivered to us at the hotel just like our agency told us it would be. We also got two packets of materials that we aren't allowed to open. We have to hand it over to immigration when we get to the states.

I did feel a sense of relief when they handed it back over to me. It's done....done....done!!!!

I think my mom is going crazy. She's not the "hang out in the hotel and relax" kind of person. She likes to be out doing things, and there isn't much to go out and do. We did hit the shops behind the Marriott this afternoon for a little bit. We mostly wanted to check out what they had and what the prices were like before we head to Antigua.

We leave at 9:00 tomorrow morning for Antigua. I'm looking forward to it. We have a personal driver who is coming to pick us up. We've heard wonderful things about him from more than one person, so we're looking forward to the day. I just hope it doesn't rain.

Alex did better today. He ate better and he slept better. We are having problems with some mini-melt downs - mostly when he is tired. I still haven't figured out his cues yet, as he will be playing and happy one second and the next be MAD!!!! He's starting to take the pacifier a little bit. I'm hoping that can help him through this transition. I don't know if we just have him off of his schedule, if he's a little older and more opinionated, or if he's grieving.

I'll try to post pictures tomorrow from our trip. Alex is asleep (without an evening bottle) and I think he's out for the night. We'll see what time he wakes me up!

Embassy Day

Today was Embassy Day. We had our appointment at 7:45. We were to meet Ana Maria at 7:15 outside of the embassy. We arranged for a taxi to take us there from the Marriott. As usual, we were a little early. We had to wait outside of the Embassy for about 10 minutes waiting for Ana Maria. It wasn't too bad, and it was a beautiful day. We went through security, and then we had a seat in this little room. Ana Maria went up and presented our pink slip and got us in line.

Then, our name was called, and I had to go up and pay. The Embassy takes credit cards or cash. I had cash, as we were told that sometimes the credit card machine doesn't work. It was working today!

We then went back to wait to be called up for the first time. When we were called, Jay, Alex and I went into this little room with a guy on the other side of the glass that had all of our paperwork. He asked us when was the first time we both saw Alex. We told him August 26th. He looked at our passports (for our entry stamps) and looked at Alex's passport. He then said that he was approving our I600-A, stamped it and that was it for that meeting. It probably took 2 minutes.

We then went back to sit and wait again. When we were called, Jay, Alex and I went to another window. We were sworn in, we were asked again when the first time was that we saw Alex. She also checked our passports and Alex's passport. She then said that she was approving us for his Visa. I had to sign a couple of documents, and that was it. We were probably at that window for about 4 minutes.

Total time at the Embassy was about an hour and half. Much quicker - and much easier than I expected.

Oh - in case some of you were wondering - they never asked for our tax returns or W2s. :)

Flowers

My dad sent my mom and I these flowers in Guatemala! Can you believe it? They are so beautiful.

Dad - I have no idea how much that cost you, or how you did it, but thank you!! What a great surprise.

Pictures

Well - Alex is completely off of his schedule. He's barely taken a bottle and has only taken a few cat naps. Tonight should be fun!!

Here are some pictures from today. The lady in the black outfit is my mom.

We're Here!!

We made it!! We didn't have any delays. It was a long day, though.

I also got my W2s. Thanks to my company, and my friend Melissa, I now have a faxed copy. You know that means that they won't ask for it tomorrow morning, but at least I now have it.

We are just waiting a few more minutes before we go down to get Alex.

We do have the computer working in our room, so I should be able to post more (and probably some pictures) than the last time.

I'll post more later!

Deep Breaths.....Deep Breaths.....

Well, we leave tomorrow morning at 10:30. I'm pretty much all packed - just a few things in the morning. I think we have more luggage than we really need - or can carry - but oh well.

I'm VERY nervous - and I'm not sure why. I think it's because we had so many problems getting down to Guatemala for our visit trip, and I'm nervous that something will happen again. It would really be ok, since we don't have our embassy appointment until Wednesday.

I'm also nervous because I can't find my W-2 forms for 2005. I can find my 2004 (which I'm taking), I can find my 1998 (can you believe that), I can find my last pay stub from 2005 (really - who can find a pay stub, but not their W2...and I'm taking it also), but I can't find my 2005 W2s. Jay was able to get his work to issue him a copy (I have it), my work is too big to be able to make anything like that happen quickly. I've asked them to expedite it and fax it to me at my work, and my friend will then fax it to the hotel. I'm thinking they should be able to get it done Monday or Tuesday. It will just make me feel better.

I've had some people say that the embassy asks for the W2s and some say that they didn't ask for any of that information. It seems if you visited you are more likely to not need them. But I have a feeling it has more to do with the reviewer you get then anything else. Please pray that either a) I get the fax sent in time, or b) I don't need it. I don't think I'll relax until we are through the appointment.

We are taking our NEW computer with us on the trip, so it should hopefully work, and I'm hoping that we can get the internet access to work in the room. If so, I'll update the blog as often as possible.

I still can't believe we are actually bringing Alex home!!

We're Leaving...On a Jet Plane

We leave on Monday, get Alex on Tuesday, have our Embassy appointment on Wednesday, get our Visa on Thursday, going to tour Antigua probably Friday, hang out on Saturday, and then home on Sunday.

Jay thinks I'm going to have a heart attack before then. I think I'm stressing a little bit!!! Between getting everything ready here for Alex, and trying to wrap up the last almost 6 years at work, I'm a little on edge. :)

I still can't believe that tomorrow is my last day at work for the REST OF THE YEAR. It just seems unreal.

I should write more, but I'm really tired. :) Maybe more tomorrow.

But, it's all worth it!!!

ALEX IS COMING HOME

We just found out we got our PINK SLIP!!!

Our Embassy appointment is the 11th. Jay, Mom and I leave on Monday morning and will come back on the 15th.

I can't believe it!!!!!!!! I have SO much to do, I'm freaking out.

:)

My Fantasy Football Team

I've been on a fantasy football league for the past 8 years. I've done ok in some years, and really good in others.

This year - I STINK!!!!! I'm 0-4....worst ever. I was one of the unfortunate ones who drafted both Trent Green and Ben R. (his name is too long and difficult to spell). For those of you who don't follow football - Trent Green smacked his head really hard the 2nd game of the season, and I'm still not sure he knows who he is, and Ben R. had to have his appendix removed in an emergency surgery. I've been playing a really bad quarterback who has just done terrible.

Then, my number 1 running back is Brian Westbrook - you never know with him...he's always hurt, and he didn't even play Monday night. But, I didn't know about it soon enough to change my lineup.

I think I'm going to try to lose all of my games this year!!

On the OSU front - we are still undefeated, and number one in the polls. We are going to the game on Saturday. (they play Bowling Green State University which is where my mom went, and where I think she wanted me to go - but it was too close to home) My parents are going and taking their RV so we will get to tailgate. My brother and sis-in-law are also going, and my aunt and uncle (and cousin!) have season tickets. It should be a good time, and our last game without a bambino.

What do you think the chances are that we won't stop at the outlet stores?? I would say there is no chance, but we would have to stop on the way up as it's a 3:30 game. I doubt we will stop...that's probably a good thing since Alex's closet is getting full!

What a Weekend!

Well - we had quite a weekend. I went to Target and Babies R Us on Saturday to finish purchasing items that we needed. When I got home and unloaded the car, it looked like Babies R Us threw up in our family room.

Jay steamed cleaned the carpets in the house, we moved the furniture in our bedroom, set up the crib, finished washing Alex's clothes, put them in his closet, put together his toy holder, unpacked all of the presents and things I bought. It was quite a day!

I actually bought two diaper bags, because I can't make up my mind! Part of me wants to keep both of them, but we'll see.

But - guess what - the border still isn't up in the room!!! :) You'd think I could get that done.

On the "getting Alex home front," we were submitted for his new birth certificate on the 20th. We should get it sometime this week, and then get submitted to the embassy. I hope we get submitted by the end of this week. We would then get our "pink" slip next week and have our appointment the week after. That's still my thought....hopefully I'm right....I just want to get there and bring him home!