Happy Birthday Jada!

Tomorrow we will be reaching another milestone in our family.  Jada turns 2!  Yes--she is ONLY turning 2!  She is sassy, always on the go, always hungry, a Nuk addict, so funny, loving, and concerned about everyone else.  She will light your path to a new way of thinking.  She will do things you never thought a 2 year old could do.  She will say things that will amaze you.  She will hold on tight and never let you go until you peel her off--or tell her that dinner is ready and she is at the table in a split second.  I could not imagine my life without her.  I'm no Duff--but I love to make my birthday cakes.  Jada would have probably loved to have a Dora cake, but I managed to make a watermelon cake with homemade totally fattening frosting.  I have sampled some and it is very yummy.  I just hope it doesn't end up on that other website of cakes gone wrong! haha!  Jada has already been in the frosting. . . but has not seen the finished product.  I will finish up the fine details tonight after she is in bed. 

All three kids are napping, not by some miracle, Jakob is actually sick (hence my ability to finally post something).  I wouldn't expect anything less for a weekend packed with plans.  The life with kids--you have to be flexible--that's for sure!  Things are always changing! :0)  Jada is just excited to open her presents--and didn't know about anything else--so if we can't go anywhere, nobody will know the difference.  She's been carrying around the box her grandma and grandpa sent her for two days now!  I should really be wrapping presents, but I guess I'll do that tonight after everyone goes to sleep. 

A few weeks ago jada's birthmother Carmen came to visit.  As always--it was an amazing and wonderful time.  It is easy to see where Jada gets her energy from.  All of our kids adore her (they adore all of the angel mommies in our family).  As tradition follows, me and Carmen stayed up into the wee hours of the night (well, around 1:30am) just hanging out and talking.  I cannot even explain how awesome it is to feel that connection.  I'm happy that it isn't just about Jada and that our relationship is equally important to each other.  (In case you were wondering. . . Craig does participate, but due to the fact that he gets up at 5am for work--he usually has to bow out of our late night chats and go to bed.)  Girl time rocks anyway.  I have had some of my best hours just hanging with my children's first moms.  We talk about everything.  The nitty gritty, the ups, the downs, the boyfriends, the jobs, the kids, pretty much anything.  I think that is so cool.  So today, I am thinking especially about Carmen and how she is feeling.  Wondering if she is happy or sad or both or something completely different.  I just want her to know how much we all love her--and I hope she believes it.

Here is Jada after coming inside. . . at least she is just dirty and not soaking wet this time.  She is a true diva with her sassy voice, "No, pictures please."

Rest up dear Jada--tomorrow is a big big day! 

Jesus loves us.

Sometimes I think I'm doing it all wrong. . . until a little conversation like this happens. . . . . 

Jakob: "Mom, when you die, (me thinking, oh no, here we go) you will go to be with Jesus."  (Me thinks okay, this isn't so bad.) 
Me:  "That's right Jakob, when did you get so smart?"
Jakob: "When I die, I will go to be with Jesus."
Me: "Yes Jakob."
Jakob:  "When Jada dies, she will go to be with Jesus."
Me: "Yes Jakob."
Jakob: "And when Dada dies, he will go to be with Jesus."
Me:  "Yes, Jakob."
Jakob:  "And when Jenay dies she will go to be with Jesus too."
Me:  "Yes, Jakob.  When we die, we will all leave the Earth and go to Heaven and we will all be with Jesus together."
Jakob:  "That will be so cool."

Time flies. . . We have been so busy.  What have we been doing?  Bike rides, gardening, parks, family visits, visits with birth families, doctor appointments, paperwork, daily chores, backed up sewer, broken dishwasher, fridge on the fritz, crashed computer (good thing we have a spare one), lost photos, swinging, swimming, driving, cooking for others, finished preschool, new photos, grant application, meetings, sleeping through most nights, teething (Jada, not Jenay), potty training?, cleaning, bible study and much much more.  I could not be more in love with my life right now--even with the given complexities.  I am more sensitive to the world around me and more aware of the things happening.  I can't always speak up--literally, because I can't.  Strangely, I feel at peace.  Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.  1 Peter 5:7  My anxieties have been cast and I trust in God with all my heart.  How can I not with all the gracious blessings He has already brought to me?

Mother and Child

This is something that I have to see.  In fact, it will the first date night for hubby and me since, well, um, maybe since Craig's work Christmas party. . . but I don't think that counts as a date.  That's kind of something you have to do.  It will be the first time out where we are the only two and have only ourselves to converse with.  haha!  I'm sure I will just be crying during the movie anyway, AND, we seriously wouldn't be offended if any of our Minnesota adoption friends showed up too. 

Here's the trailer page on facebook.


Hopefully it will be coming soon to your neck of the woods!  Here's the showtime schedule.  Here's the facebook page. 

Quick hello!

Jakob and Jada feeding "salad" aka hosta leaves to the bugs

Nap time. . . I have yet to find time for a nap!

Diva Girl!  I look at Jada and see Carmen (her birthmother) and I am reminded how awesome it is that all three of our birthmoms are in our lives!

My little turkey boy.  Jakob is the smallest kid in his preschool class.  His birthmom Kaiti isn't exactly very tall herself and neither is anyone in her family for that matter! :0)

Restoring order to our meal times with the Keekaroo chair that I spotted over on Mike and Katie's blog.  Thanks guys!  We are waiting for our second one to arrive!  Purchased at Baby on Grand in Hopkins.  Yes, they have a store on Grand Ave. too in St. Paul--but I live closer to Hopkins! 

Not much time to blog anything else.  I am planning to visit with T (Jenay's birthmom) sometime this weekend or early next week.  Looking forward to some quiet time with her and Jenay! :0) I love all my kids dearly--but there is no such thing as a "quality" visit when they are all present!  Have a fantastic weekend! 

I better go. . . we are expecting a new adoptive mom here soon to visit with her sweet baby girl!  Can't wait!  Love meeting new families in the adoption community!  Yeah! 

Today we found out that the FAR check (Minnesota Father's Adoption Registry) was clear.  It feels nice to have one more step in our process completed. 

Tomorrow will already be four weeks since Jenay was born! I simply cannot believe that it has been that long already! Last Thursday we met T's (Jenay's birthmother) mother, her sister and her sister's two month old baby. We had a wonderful time getting to know each other and just hanging out taking care of all the kids--Jakob and Jada came along too! It felt like we had known each other forever. I could just squeeze them all tight with huge hugs of love. I have the most cherished photo ever of all of us, but again, can't post it for the respect of their privacy. It makes me smile every time I look at it. I hope they know just how much we really do love them.

We had our first post-placement home visit on Tuesday. Nothing out of the ordinary. I think people often wonder why adoption has such large fees--take a look at all the running around, extra hours for meetings, births and discharges, report writing, phone calls, court prep, etc. that these social workers are doing! I can only tell you that our workers in this case are definitely going the extra mile helping with rides, counseling, offering support, and just plain putting in a lot of hours--and that is just our case. WE are so thankful that we found Lutheran Social Services!!!!

Our biggest transition yet is moving Jakob and Jada into the same bedroom for now. There have been a lot of late night giggles and early morning awakenings--making for two crabby kids. But, they have been going to bed at the same time and it is getting quiet much quicker now! haha! It is easier to keep a bedtime routine.

Jenay seems to like to be held--all day and all night. There is no way I would have ever had Jakob sleep in our bed with us when he was this little. It is funny how your own rules change with each child. She is sweeter than sweet! It is like she has always been here in our family. She will be just as spoiled as our other children--imagine that.

I have always thought about what our children would be like if they were raised in their original birth order. All of our children were our birthparents' first born. Jakob is the sensitive one--and very cautious for being the "first born" and a boy at that too. Jada--well, she is totally wild and crazy! She is definitely the perfect personality for a strong willed middle child--nothing will ever stop her. And little Jenay. . . it only seems appropriate that she is the baby of the family. She is totally adored by all of us. I am so very blessed beyond words. I look forward to what the future brings. I look forward to an even louder and more chaotic household filled with lots of laughter. I'm sure there will be a lot of yelling too--we are always trying to talk over all the noise! :0) And don't forget the fighting. . . you know that's going to happen. haha! Off to care for my baby. Life is good!