Bath Time and Retail Therapy

Alex took a bath this weekend for the first time just in the bathtub. He liked having the extra room. We're going to do a bubble bath very soon. I think he will love it.

Here's the now infamous blanket. :) It's very pretty. Thanks Cheryl!!

I've been watching some of you blogger pals do some retail therapy lately. I decided that I needed to do the same thing. I'm not sure what my therapy reason is......but it was fun to shop!

Happy Easter

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. We had a wonderful (if not long) day. We were up at 5:30 am!! We had sunrise service at 7:00 where our choir along with another church's choir presented a cantata. Then it was breakfast - Jay then took Alex back home while I did some practicing. Then it was an Easter Egg Hunt, a short service at our church where I played piano, and then we rushed over to our neighbor church to do the cantata one more time.

Alex wouldn't nap this afternoon - and then we went to friend's house for Easter dinner. I'm exhausted!!

Alex was SOOO cute. Now, I know that everyone thinks that their child is the cutest thing ever - but my gosh - he takes my breath away!! Here are some pictures from today.

Alex also took two steps on his own!! Very exciting.

Here's his Easter outfit on the couch. I LOVE this outfit!!!

Alex and the Laundry

****Warning*****

If you are offended by underwear - stop reading!!!

I was attempting to fold laundry today when Alex decided to come over and help. He started out by pulling all of our underwear out of the basket and onto the floor. He then figured out that it would be even easier to get rid of everything if did the following......

We Pray

This was in our church's newsletter in April. I thought it was appropriate.

We pray for children

• who sneak Popsicles before supper
• who erase holes in math workbooks
• who can never find their shoes

And we pray for those

• who stare at photographers from behind barbed wire
• who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers
• who never "counted potatoes"
• who are born in places we wouldn't be caught dead
• who never go to the circus
• who live in a X-rated world

We pray for children

• who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions
• who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money

And we pray for those

• who never get dessert
• who have no safe blanket to drag behind them
• who watch their parents watch them die
• who can't find any bread to steal
• who don't have any rooms to clean up
• whose pictures aren't on anybody's dresser
• whose monsters are real

We pray for children

• who spend all their allowance before Tuesday
• who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food
• who like ghost stories
• who shove dirty clothes under the bed, and never rinse out the tub
• who get visits from the tooth fairy
• who don't like to be kissed in front of the carpool
• who squirm in church or temple and scream in the phone
• whose tears we sometimes laugh at and whose smiles can make us cry

And we pray for those.

Now I Feel Bad!!

I have a few people that I work with that read my blog. I've found out from two people who have had babies in the past year that they didn't receive a blanket either. So, maybe it wasn't just me!!!!

But, now I feel bad. My mentor reads my blog, and immediately went out and ordered a blanket for Alex. Now that I found out that some of my co-workers didn't get a blanket either, I feel terrible!!

I should have just kept my mouth shut!!

Here's an old picture of Alex. I still have to download some more pictures - and I need to take more!! I'm horrible at taking pictures.

It's a Small World After All

This story is just wild, and I'm still amazed over it.

The other day, I was reading Crystal's blog. She talked about going to Toledo for a bridal shower. I grew up very close to Toledo. As I went to comment, I noticed that someone named Bekah commented that she also lived close to Toledo. I had seen Bekah comment on other blogs that I read, but had never checked out her blog or profile. (I have too many blogs to keep up with as it is!!)

I decided I was going to check out her profile and contact her to find out where she lived.

Imagine my shock when I pull up her profile and see that she lives in Archbold. People - that's my hometown!!!!! I about fell off of the couch!!!!

Needless to say that we have been emailing and just talked on the phone for about an hour.

The connections we have are amazing. (although not surprising since Archbold only has about 3500 people in the whole town) I was in the band with her older brother, her husband works with my mom's best friend's son, and the little brother of my best friend growing up is the person that introduced Bekah to her husband.

Bekah and her husband are waiting to bring their precious little girl home from Guatemala, and I'm so glad I found her!!

(So - Thanks Crystal - I owe you one!!!)

I Think I'm Overreacting

Something happened last week to me at work and I can't get it out of my head. I think I'm overreacting, and I hope by writing it down I can get over it!!

(if you read this, and work with me, please don't say anything to anyone about this)

I need to start by saying that Jay and I have been blessed with incredible support for our adoption by friends, family and co-workers. We truly are VERY lucky. I've heard many of you (and many on the a.com forum) talk about the non-support from various people. If anyone was against this adoption, they certainly didn't let me know about it.

My company/boss has also been very supportive of my adoption. Our company doesn't offer maternity benefits for adoption (just FLMA) but they do offer $5,000 in adoption assistance.

So, saying all of that, I can't believe that the following bothered me.

Another co-worker of mine just had a baby last week. We had just gotten all of the specifics (day she was actually born, height, weight, name) and someone mentioned that we needed to get the information to P. in HR so that the company could send the blanket. I asked what blanket were they talking about. They said that our company sends a baby blanket personalized with the baby's name, and date of birth to the hospital after a baby is born.

I never got a blanket.

Ok - now that I've written it down it sounds stupid. Alex certainly doesn't need a blanket, and it's really not a big deal. But - when they told me that, my heart just sunk. I had a baby - I just wasn't in the hospital with him.

Alright - I'm over it. :)

(and I don't have any new pictures - I'll take some today - I promise!!)

He's Growing Up!!

My little guy is growing up and I don't think I like it!!

He has pretty much grown out of his 9 month clothes!! We are on to 12 month stuff now. All of his clothes are now "big boy" clothes - no more cute one piece outfits that make him look like a baby. He's eating more and more big people food - and he loves to feed himself. We have the gates up (thanks Holly!) and he is moving all over the place.

And the kicker.....


He's now too big for the baby carrier. :( When we went to the doctor, he weighed in at 19 lbs 12 1/2 ounces! Jay just took the carrier base out of the cars, and installed the convertible car seats. Its makes me sad that he's growing up so quick. He'll be 11 months a week from tomorrow!! Where did the time go??

Spring Has Sprung

It's about time!!!

The weather here is beautiful - sunny and in the upper 70s. The grass is turning green (thanks to lots of rain we've had in the last week). There are baby cows and baby horses out in the fields. The trees are starting to bud out. The birds are back. I can open the windows on the house.

I love it!!! My favorite part is seeing the baby farm animals everywhere. There is nothing cuter than a calf or foal out in the field with his/her mama.

Happy Spring everyone!

Some Pictures

I haven't posted any pictures of Alex for quite awhile! Here are some from the past couple of weeks.

Alex LOVES to take the DVD cases and stack them on top of the receiver.....

Take them off......

Stack them again......


And then put them along the side. He's very serious when he is doing this work. I'm sure it all makes sense to him!
Here's the book we got from Alleen as a SBP gift. Alex LOVES this book!!!

I'm going to read this book all the way through!!

Thank you Alleen and Gabriella!!!!

This was my first attempt at keeping Alex in our family room.

All it did was teach him how to stand up.....

......and cruise!!

If you lay on the floor in our house....

...you will get mugged by the cat! Alex LOVES Lucky. Lucky thinks Alex is pretty cool. They are really funny together.

Here's Alex eating his first Girl Scout Cookie. We now have to hide them because if he even sees the box he freaks out. (and we had ravioli for dinner that night, can you tell??)

Do you think I need to teach him how to drink from a straw?? :) He's actually gotten really good about drinking from his sippy cup!! Yeah!!

And now for his latest......

Yes...he's walking with his little walker thing. this was the first night he was doing it (which is why you see parts of me in the pictures) He's now so good at it he can even turn himself around. I predict he will be walking independently by his first birthday!

Gates Anyone??

Alex is officially mobile - not walking on his own - but with his walker!!

We desperately need to get some gates up around the house. There are just too many to choose from!!! I'm so confused.

Pressure mounted? Hardware mounted? Plastic? Wood? With a mommy/daddy gate? Does price matter?

We have three places we want to put a gate up right now. One in our hallway, one to separate the family room from the kitchen and one on the stairs.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Anything I should stay away from?

Yikes!!!

(and we are starting to feel better - I'm still pretty wiped out - but Alex is better)

We're Sick...Again

What a weekend!!!

Jay stayed home from work both Thursday and Friday (which is very rare for him). He was running a fever, and finally went to the doctor on Saturday - Bronchitis

Alex started getting stuffy on Thursday, was pulling at his ear, and had some white spots in his mouth. I took him to the doctor today - Ear Infection and Thrush

I have a horrible upper respiratory infection. I haven't been to the doctor yet. I haven't really been running a fever - just stuffed up, and feel miserable. I ended up staying home from work today.

My parents were here Saturday and Sunday - my dad headed home on Sunday, and my mom is staying until Thursday morning. I'm glad she's been here as it's allowed me to take some naps.

Yuck - yuck - yuck!!!

(and thanks to everyone for your sweet comments to my last post. I too hope that Guatemala settles down in the future. And for all of you that are starting out - my thoughts and prayers are with your families. I hope you get your babies home soon)

Are There More Out There?

I haven't been able to sleep lately. I had insomnia really bad during Alex's adoption. I've been trying to figure out what my problem is.

I think I've figured it out.

I want to adopt another baby from Guatemala. By itself, this wouldn't seem like a big deal. I always thought that we would adopt again - someday. I thought maybe we'd wait a few years and then start again. (maybe for a little girl)

Adoptions in Guatemala are very much up in the air right now. The DOS is even suggesting that people shouldn't start adoptions from Guatemala. There is going to be a lot of changes going on in the near future, and no one knows what that is going to mean. Here's a link to the latest from the DOS.

http://www.guatadopt.com/archives/000600.html#000600

I think I might be grieving. I feel like I'm losing a child. It's the weirdest thing as we are in NO WAY ready to start another adoption. (financially, emotionally, physically, etc.) I just have this feeling that I may not have an opportunity to adopt another child from Guatemala and that makes me REALLY sad.

Pray for me....I need to figure out where God is leading me right now. I know his plans are bigger than mine. I need to trust in Him.

Oh - and I haven't talked to Jay about any of this, so keep your mouths shut!!! :)

Bad Blogger

I can't believe how bad I've been lately. Actually - I can - we've been really busy!!

Friday night, Alex went with me to Bunko. :) Poor guy!! He was wonderful (as usual!)

Saturday we went swimming with Michelle, her three kids, Tami, and two of her four kids. Alex had fun, again. Michelle, her kids, Alex and I (and Megan) then went to visit our friend Cindy's house (Megan's mom) to take Megan back home (she spent the night with Sarah Friday night). We miss Cindy!! Her family moved a little further away recently to be closer to Gary's job. We had a great time. (It was my first time to see their new house)

Here are some pictures from our day at Cindy's.

Here are "the boys." Zach (16 months), Alex (10 months), and Josh (19 months)

Here's the whole gang. Sarah (6) with Zach, Tyler (8) with Alex, and Megan (I think she's 7!!) with Josh.

I can't begin to explain the emotion I had on Saturday. As you can tell from above, the older kids are close in age. Then Cindy and Michelle got pregnant while Jay and I were TTC. I was so happy for them, but it was very hard on me. I saw them getting ready to have their boys - so close in age - and here I was still with no kids. They were already doing stuff together with the older kids, and I really felt like I was going to be passed by again.

Then - 6 months to the day that Zach was born, Alex was born. And here I was - with my two good friends, watching our little men "playing together," and it was everything I had hoped for. (ok - I'm crying right now writing this)

I know that some of you understand where I'm coming from. It's moments like Saturday that make me realize what a hand God has in everything. Alex came to us at exactly the right time - exactly. We are just so blessed.

Alex Goes to Washingtion

Ok - maybe not Washington - but Frankfort, KY (the state capitol).

Alex and I went and spent the day with Jay at the Kentucky State Senate. Of course everyone thinks he's the cutest and best baby ever. (and of course they are right!!)

Alex was introduced on the floor of the Senate by our State Senator. Jay's going to try to get a digital copy of the video, and there were a couple pictures taken that I'll post as soon as I get them.

What I didn't know is that Alex was named an honorary page for the day. Pages are usually elementary/middle school kids that come and spend the day with a Senator or Representative. They get introduced, they get a nice certificate, and get to see how the legislator works. They usually get to sit in their legislators seat for part of the session, and may be asked to "run errands" for the legislator. (get water, take a note to another member, etc.) I didn't know that they were going to make Alex a "page." We are going to take his certificate along with the picture that was taken and frame it for him.

He has no choice - he lives in a political family!! He better get used to it now.

Alex also has his first girlfriend. Alex is in love with one of the girls that Jay works with. He lights up when she walks in the room, and he giggles, smiles and flirts with her like you would not believe. She thinks he's pretty cute too, but I think the 21ish year difference might be a problem. :)

Here he is in his "froggy" towel that he got from Aunt Jamie and Uncle Chris.

Our Lunch Date

Alex and I had a lunch date yesterday with a fellow blogger. I recently discovered that Lori lives very near to me. So, she and I (and Alex) met for lunch yesterday. It was wonderful to meet her and hear about her journey. They are waiting to bring their son home. (I got to see pictures, and he is ADORABLE)

Now we can't wait until he is home so Alex has even more people to have play dates with!!

Thanks Lori - we had a great time.

I Need Your Help

I've got two things I need your help with.

1. Jay goes to a couple conferences every year, and I usually go with him to at least one. We then turn it into a mini vacation. (for example, one year we went to San Francisco for his conference - rented a car - drove through wine country - the mountains - ended up in Reno where we spent a couple of days)

We've decided that Alex and I are going to try to go with him to one of his conferences again this year. I think I know which one I want to go to, but thought I'd get your opinions. The choices are:

a. Boston
b. Philadelphia
c. Williamsburg

What do you guys think? (I'll let you know my choice later!)

2. I'd like to start planning (so we can start saving) for a vacation for just Jay and I. I'm thinking sometime next late spring (Mayish) or later. (Jay can't go anywhere from after Thanksgiving until about the end of April) We don't have tons of money to spend, and I think we would like to stay in this hemisphere. Any thoughts? It doesn't have to be exotic - just nice for the two of us. Cruises are out - Jay refuses!! We aren't outdoorsy types (I mean the hiking kind) but we like to look at pretty outdoors stuff!

I can't wait to hear what your thoughts are!!

Happy Birthday and my SBP

Yesterday was Alex's 10 month birthday. I can't believe he is 10 months already. It won't be long before he is celebrating his first birthday. That's just not possible!!!

Yesterday was just more proof that Alex is very laid back. I had a meeting in Frankfort, so the plan was that I was going to drop Alex off with Jay while I had my meeting. Most Friday afternoons are pretty easy for Jay. They were still in session when we showed up (which I didn't expect) so I had to haul Alex over to the capitol (where Jay proceeded to show Alex off to everyone). They we had to go back over the annex where Jay and I got something to eat. I then ran off to my meeting. Alex played in Jay's office, until Jay had a meeting at which point some of his co-workers watched him.

By the time I got back there, it was 4:00 and he hadn't had his afternoon nap!! He was as pleasant as ever. He didn't fuss at all. I gave him a bottle, and he was asleep in 2 seconds. We are SO lucky to have this little guy!!!

Then I get home, and my SBP struck again. We got another cute spring/summer outfit for Alex, and a great bath book. Alex has been reading/chewing the book constantly since I took it out of the package.

Thanks SBP!!! You've done TOOOOO much!!!

Alex Eating

For some reason, the latest group of pictures I took are all of Alex eating. I'm not sure what that means, but it probably means something. :)


Ok Mommy, what are going to feed me today?

You call this cheese? Let's see........

Um....I'm not so sure about this mom!

Oh, wait....maybe I do like this.

Ummmm......let me stick my tongue out at you!!

He LOVES cheese. He usually wants to have it with every meal. I guess it's getting some protein in him.

We Must Be Good Luck!

When Jay and I first moved to Kentucky, we boarded our horse with a wonderful family - Susie and Jack. They have three kids. Their son lives in Wisconsin, their oldest daughter, Amy, lives in Indiana (just across the river), and their youngest daughter Jen lives near us. When we got our own place and moved our horses to our house, we didn't see them as much.

We just found out (after Christmas) that Amy and her husband are in the process of adopting their son from Guatemala. We ended up getting together with the whole family on Sunday. (Jen has a one year old son, now) We had a great time. It was nice to talk to Amy and Rob about their adoption process. They've been at this for a long time. They started in another country that got shut down, and then switched to Guatemala.

Their son was born in September, and they were a couple days away from being in PGN for 3 months. (they had one kickout)

They got out of PGN today

I'm SO excited for them!!! Bobby will be coming home soon. I'm so excited for them, and I can't wait to see him!!!

So - if some of you need some good luck, my house is open - come visit!!! :)

Fishy Pic

Ok - here's a picture of Alex at the pool. We're having a busy weekend, so it might be awhile before I post again. I really need to clean the house and do dishes...and laundry.....and.....and.... :)

Thank God for Great Friends!!!!!

What a day I had!! I had a meeting at work that lasted until 5:00. I already had my computer shut down, but by the time I got everything pulled together and out to my car it was almost 15 minutes after 5:00. I then had a 40 mile drive (in rush hour traffic) to get Alex. I had to have him picked up by 6:00. I knew that I would be cutting it close.

Well........there was an accident on my interstate. I went about 5 miles in 40 minutes!!!

I ended up calling my friend Michelle. She dropped everything - packed up her kids - and tried to get there on time. She didn't think she was going to make it, so she called her sister-in-law Debbie who was 3 minutes from the daycare. Debbie picked Alex up and then sat with him in the parking lot until Michelle got there. Then, Michelle sat in the parking lot with Alex as the carrier we are using can't be strapped into the car without the base. I ended up there at 6:20.

Not only that - but then Michelle fed both me and Jay!!! She's such a great friend.

Thanks Michelle and Debbie!!!!!!!!!

My Fish and Catch-Up

I took Alex to the pool for the first time today. He LOVED it!!! He was laughing and smiling the whole time. He didn't care when the bigger kids splashed water in his face, and he really enjoyed floating on his back. I think I'm going to have to make that a regular feature.

I finally downloaded more pictures, so I can do some catch up.

This is what my SBP sent for Alex. It says "Heartbreaker in Training" He looked SOOOO cute in it!!

Here he is getting into the stereo equipment. I'm pretty sure he thinks the name for all of that stuff is "no." He will crawl over to it, pull himself up, shake his head no and then touch it.

Here he is getting into the clean laundry for the first time. He was having fun throwing our underwear all over the family room floor.

Here's a good picture of him standing. He's really getting good at it. He LOVES his books - here he is picking out the next book he wanted to look at.

Here he is saying hi. He's starting doing it this way. His hand goes up in the air and his mouth goes open. (and his shirt says Born 2 Love Daddy) :)

And here he is on the night he decided to feed himself sweet potatoes. He had it EVERYWHERE!!! It was pretty funny. Needless to say he went straight into the tub.

He Did It! He Did It!

Alex did his first signs!!!

This morning he was playing just fine and then started having melt down. Both Jay and I thought me must be tired. Jay tried to get him to sleep, I tried to get him to sleep, and then I put him in his crib. (sometimes when he is really tired, the only way he will go to sleep is to be put in his crib) Nothing was working.

I got him back out of his crib, and was going to start rocking him again. As I sat down in the glider he signed (plain as day!!!) Milk - More - Milk. And his more was perfect!!!

I threw him at Jay (ok - maybe not a throw - but pretty close), ran into the kitchen, and made the quickest bottle ever.

Sure enough - he took the whole bottle, smiled up at me, and went back to playing - as happy as could be.

I'm still amazed that my 9 1/2 month old was able to tell me what he wanted!!!!! I'm SOOOOO happy!!!!!

(oh - and he's now cruising EVERYWHERE - and getting into EVERYTHING!!!)

It's My Turn for a Montage

Tomorrow marks the 4 month anniversary of being home with Alex. I can't believe it's been four months!! It's gone by so quickly.

In honor of this, I thought I'd do my first montage. These are all pictures of Alex during the time that he wasn't with us. I have them pretty much in order. The first picture is the very first picture that I ever saw of Alex. The pictures are from our medical updates and the disposable camera that the foster mom used for us. Then there are pictures from our visit trip (and us giving him back to his FM and foster sister!!) and then the pick up trip.

Enjoy!!

Make an online slide show at onetruemedia.com

Just 'Cause

Ok - I needed a picture of my little guy near the top!! (we are good - I'm sick now - worked from home today so I didn't spread the germs!!)

If You Were a Girl in the 70s

Ok - I got this email from a dear friend today. I don't think I remember seeing this exact one before. Oh boy - it's SOOOOO true!!! The original email includes great pictures. If you want the email with pictures either email me (in my profile) or leave me your email and I'll forward it to you.

For those of you who didn't grow up in the 70's - I'm sorry - you missed a good time!!!

If You Were a Girl in the 70's

- You had that Fisher Price Doctor's Kit with the stethoscope that actually worked.

- You owned a bicycle with a banana seat and a plastic basket with flowers on it.

- You learned to skate with actual skates (not roller blades) that had metal wheels.

- You thought Gopher from Love Boat was cute (admit it!!).

- You had nightmares after watching Fantasy Island.

- You had rubber boots for rainy days and Moon boots for snowy days.

- You owned a Slip-N-Slide, on which you injured yourself on a sprinkler head more than once.

- You owned "Klick-Klacks" and smacked yourself on the face more than once.

- You had either a "bowl cut" or "pixie," not to mention the "Dorothy Hamill." People sometimes thought you were a boy.

- Your Holly Hobbie sleeping bag was your most prized possession.

- You wore a poncho, gauchos, and knickers.

- You begged Santa for the electronic game, Simon.

- You had the Donnie and Marie dolls with those pink and purple satiny shredded outfits.

- You spent hours in your backyard on your metal swing set with the trapeze. The swing set tipped over at least once.

- You had homemade ribbon barrettes in every imaginable color

- You had a pair of Doctor Scholl's sandals (the ones with the hard sole & the buckle). You also had a pair of salt water sandals.

- You wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder really bad; you wore that Little House on the Prairie-inspired plaid, ruffle shirt with the high neck in at least one school picture; and you despised Nellie Olson!

- You wanted your first kiss to be at a roller rink!

- Your hairstyle was described as having "wings" or "feathers" and you kept it "pretty" with the comb you kept in your back pocket.

- When you walked, the "wings" flapped up and down, looked like you were going to "take off!"

- You know who Strawberry Shortcake is, as well as her friends, Blueberry Muffin and Huckleberry Pie.

- You carried a Muppets lunch box to school and it was metal, not plastic. With the thermos inside!

- You and your girlfriends would fight over which of the Dukes of Hazzard boys was your boyfriend.

- YOU had Star War action figures too!

- It was a big event in your household each year when the "Wizzard of Oz" would come on TV. Your mom would break out the popcorn and the sleeping bag.

- You often asked your Magic-8 ball the question: "Who will I marry, Shaun Cassidy, Leif Garrett, or David Cassidy...?"

- You completely wore out your Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Fame soundtrack record albums.

- You tried to do lots of arts and crafts, like yarn and Popsicle-sticks, God's eyes, decoupage, or those weird potholders made on a plastic loom.

- You made Shrinky-Dinks and put iron-on kittens on your t-shirts.

- You used to tape record songs off the radio by holding your portable tape player up to the
speaker.

- You had subscriptions to Dynamite and Tiger Beat.

- You learned everything you needed to know about girl issues from Judy Blume books (Are you there God, it's me Margaret)

- You thought Olivia Newton John's song "Physical" was about aerobics.

- You wore friendship pins on your tennis shoes , or shoelaces with heart or rainbow designs.

- You wanted to be a Solid Gold dancer.

- You drowned yourself in Love's Baby Soft - which was the first "real" perfume you ever owned.

- You glopped your lips in Strawberry Roll-on lip gloss until is almost dripped off.

(editor's note - I still have my Donny Osmond doll!!!!!!!)

Climber, Beaver and Oranges

We believe that Alex is going to be a climber. He can't even stand by himself yet, but he tries to climb on, over, around everything. It's actually kind of cute. I think I'm going to find him on top of the refrigerator someday.

We also believe that Alex was a beaver in a past life. He's learned how to stand up in his crib, and Jay found him gnawing on his crib. Jay is going to have to lower the crib to the final level and I'm going to have to find something to protect the crib.

I keep experimenting with new food for Alex. I tried Manderin Oranges this week. Oh my gosh!!! I've never seen him eat something so quickly. He's really getting good at chewing things now. I bought some mango, avocados, pears and peaches at the grocery store today, so I guess we'll try that. He still loves his puffs, and yogurt, but he doesn't like cottage cheese. He had some pasta this week also. He liked it but it was hard for him to pick up with his little fingers.

The medicine seems to be helping Buddy a little bit. We are actually able to get some sleep at night. It's obvious that he isn't all there anymore, but he still likes to go out to the barn and run and play. He's always been Jay's dog, but lately he wants to just hang out with me. I think it's because I was home for those 11 weeks, and I'm home most of the week now. I just hope we know when the right time will be. :(

Strength

As I've been reading adoption blogs over the past couple of weeks, it's evident that many of you are not in a good place right now. I think it's post-holiday frustration. I know that one mantra that many of you are using is

"Do not confuse waiting with being defeated"

Let me suggest another one. This one comes from the new Kleenex commercials. These are the ones with the guy and the couch and people come, sit down, tell him their story, and of course there are Kleenex available. It's part of their new Let It Out campaign. There is one with a women from New Orleans who is speaking about her loss from Katrina. As she begins to cry she says,

"My tears don't compromise my strength. They never have."

So, for those of you who have cried recently - or maybe need to cry - remember that doesn't mean you aren't strong. You are - you have to be to go through this craziness!

Random Thoughts...Again

- Alex has another cold - the joys of daycare! He's coughing again and all snotty. He's had a pretty good week at daycare except for yesterday. He also had a rough night sleeping. Hopefully he will get through this one quicker than the last one and we don't end up with an ear infection again.

- Our dog, Buddy, has not been himself lately. I started doing research on his symptoms, talked to my sis-in-law (who is a vet) and then took him into our vet. Everything is pointing to Canine Cognitive Dysfunction - which is basically Doggy Alzheimers. I'm heartbroken. Buddy is 11 years old and we've had him since he was 4 weeks. There is no cure. There is medication that can be used to try to increase his quality of life. We are on a trial period right now of the meds and they seem to be working. The medication is not cheap (somewhere between 45-72 dollars a month). I know he won't be around forever, but I'm still having a hard time with this.

- I did my first business travel yesterday since getting Alex. Luckily it was just to Chicago for a one hour meeting. I was able to fly up and back in the same day. (and this was a big meeting - and it went REALLY well!!!) Jay did great with Alex, but I still missed him. I would see these babies in the airport, and every one of them reminded me of Alex. (which was stupid, since most of them didn't look anything like him!)

- We've now been home almost 4 months, and Alex is still alive!! We actually haven't broken him yet. :) It's actually been easier than I expected.

- OK - confession time - I'm an American Idol FREAK!!! I haven't missed an episode in ANY of the seasons. I'm hooked - addicted - need an intervention! I'm so excited that it's back on. Next week starts the real competition - no more audition shows. (and I just bought Chris Daughtry's new album - LOVE IT!!)

- For those of you who are still waiting to bring your babies home - I wish I could say something to you to make it easier. There isn't anything I can say. All I can tell you is that it is worth it. Every second of waiting - every penny spent - all the sleepless nights - all the stupid questions from well meaning friends/acquaintances - all the heartache - all of it. Hang in there!!!

Where Has the Time Gone?

I can't believe it's been so long since I blogged!! I blame it all on my parents. :)

My mom and dad came to town Wednesday night and stayed until Sunday. They are on their way down for a few weeks in Florida, so they stopped here for a couple days and will stop for a couple days on their way back home.

I've also realized it's hard to blog when you are a mom and working!! I just don't know where the time goes.

It was nice to have my parents here. It gave me an opportunity to get out and get some stuff done - specifically my hair. (Jay was starting to call me root girl!)

We had a "date night" Saturday night. I was looking forward to getting out with Jay when my parents were here. I had grand plans for a nice dinner (at a nice restaurant) and then maybe a movie (there are a lot of movies out right now that I would like to go see). Did we do that? NO! We had to go to a state-wide political fundraiser. I did get dressed up (which was fun) but we were then in a room with 1500 other people, eating the worst pork chops I've ever had in my life, listening to politicians talk. Not exactly what I was hoping for - but we did get a night out.

I'm way behind in reading the blogs - I'll try to get caught up soon! And, I received some wonderful gifts from my Secret Blog Pal. I promise to take pictures and post soon!!!!!!

And - here are some more pictures of the reason why you come to this blog. I really need to take some more pictures of him.