Dream big!

We have been the busiest people ever! Well, maybe not the busiest. . .but it sure feels like it. We finally got our (used, but new to us) hE washer and dryer installed last weekend! They have been sitting in our garage for three weeks!! They are really really really awesome and great for washing diapers! We moved Jakob into his new bedroom and he is officially in his toddler bed now. We sold our guest bed in less than 30 minutes on good ole craigslist. The computer is now in our bedroom so we can use it when Jakob is sleeping. Jada's room still needs a little organizing. We have been submerged with clothes for from friends for when she is 6 months to 2 years old! They are all beautiful!!!!!!! We are so blessed to have all these wonderful people in our lives. We have packed up about 4 big garbage bags full of goods for the goodwill. We just need to purge--we are overflowing with love here!!

We are now out of legal risk as of yesterday at 4:30pm. We had our first home visit today and another one in about a month. We have to find some time to get our paperwork done so we can get all the necessary things completed for court. Hopefully, we will be able to finalize this year. I guess it all depends on how busy Hennipen County is during November and December! Our relationship with Jada's birthmom has been developing in such a beautiful manner through email. We hope it keeps growing and that we get a chance to have her in our lives a little bit more in the future (as in seeing her in person.) Well, I have a billion more things to talk about and no time. Desperately seeking sleep. . . . Everyone is the same in this house and nobody wants to miss a thing--including Jada--she is the most awake baby ever! We all seem to be doing a bit better with the acid reflux. There are good days and bad days. I can't believe that she will have been with us for four weeks this Friday! We love her so much and honestly. . . can't really remember what life was like without her. We are truly blessed!! We pray that we can make both Kaiti's (Jakob's birthmom) and Jada's birthmom's hopes and dreams that they have for their children come true. After all--we are big dreamers here. . . and look where it got us! :0)

ANGEL BABY

Check-up

We had Jada at the Doctor on Saturday for acid reflux. We have opted to give her the medication the doctor prescribed. She just looked way to uncomfortable to me--more like in pain--like when you go to the state fair and eat way too much of the deep fried crud and then feel like you're going to die later kind of pain. Or like when you take a handful of pee pee treats (aka M&M's) everytime you go into the kitchen and later on you can't understand why you feel like you are bloated and have gained 15 pounds in one day. Anyway. . . she is doing much better--and I am completely satisfied with our decision to give her the medicine. Our little Jada isn't so little anymore. . . she weighed 8lbs 9oz---WOWSERS!! The doctor said that the acid reflux probably promted her to want more food as a reflex to not feeling well. She's a girl who knows how to get what she wants!!

I am impatiently awaiting my delivery of Bum Genius 3.0 one size diapers--due to arrive tomorrow. If we weren't already in debt with the adoption. . . we for sure are now with my diaper purchase!! I was getting completely disgusted with the amount of diapers filling up our garbage can!! AND--quite frankly--the fact that diapers at Sam's for Jakob and Jada were $60. We returned them--I hope Jakob likes these. . . because he is going to wear them too. Maybe it will prompt him to use the potty more often. He is starting to take his own poopy diapers off himself--yes, use your imagination--it is gross! haha!! AHHHHHH, the life of having two kids--I WOULDN'T CHANGE IT FOR THE WORLD!! :0) This is about all I have time for. . . so I hope you enjoy it!!

Full Term

I think pretty much everyone who reads my blog has heard the big news already. If not, you are in for a big surprise. This is the story you always hear about happening to somebody else. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it could happen to us. Craig and I were planning on attending my 20 year class reunion this past weekend. I procrastinated registering just because I had a feeling that something would come up and we wouldn't be able to go--but I finally registered on Tuesday and paid for it through paypal. While getting things ready, I also tried to email our social worker our plans of getting away for the weekend with all of our contact information--the power went out for a bit on Tuesday while I was writing my email so I finally got around to it on Wednesday. Our social worker acknowledged our email on Thursday at about 1pm and let us know we had one mailer taken in June. I was going to call Craig and let him know, but we have had so many mailers taken that I decided not to get excited about it anymore. Two and 1/2 hours later, our social worker called and said, "Hi Jodi, it's Michelle--I'm so glad you didn't leave yet." And I replied, "Oh my, I better sit down." :0)

I had a conference call with her and a birthparent counselor and was told that we had been chosen by her and a birthparent (birthmom did not want to pick the parents, but gave the social worker all the things she valued in a family and what she wanted and we were a match. The social worker then read our profile to our birthmom and she liked what it said.)

So, anyway, our baby girl was born on Wednesday (July 30th) at 7:29pm and we were told she would be discharged on Friday! SHELL SHOCK!! She arrived home around 3pm. Jakob was sleeping so we had some time to adjust (like 2 hours.) We had no idea what to expect. Jakob is an amazing big brother. He already loves his baby sister and helps out whenever he can. He likes to help feed her and put her pacifier in her mouth. He knows where the pee pee and poo poo come out and says "uh oh" if he sees spit up on her mouth. He pats her head, rubs her tummy and tickles her feet. I could not ask for a more perfect family!! :0) We have decided to name her Jada Leila Carmen.

We are still in legal risk--which means that yes, Jada's mom can change her mind. Nothing matters to us right now. Jada is already a part of our hearts and our lives no matter what her first mom decides. Love is love.

For now, I ask that you pray for Jada's first mom. She needs your prayers the most. May she feel peace with her decision and find support for the many emotional days to come. I will personally pray that she find the strength to become a bigger part of our lives. We love her more than she will ever ever know. At first it sounded like she wanted a pretty closed adoption, but we have since received her email and permission to send her pictures through it of all of us. We pray that she will write us back.

Jada has already captured our hearts and has us all wrapped around her little teeny tiny fingers!!! We even got to meet Sabrina in person--finally--and eat her simply fabulous Mexican dish and lime pie (which, by the way, is already gone.) MMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

It really is amazing how God has brought so many wonderful people and all the many blessings to our lives. We are so lucky and feel so loved!!

And, in case you were wondering. . . we didn't make it to my 20 year reunion!! haha!!

Oh, and I suppose you would like to see some pictures?