Goodbye 2010!

We wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year for 2011!

As 2010 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting a bit (especially while riding all over today - did some lovely shopping!). This past year has brought both joy and heartache - and some good memories.

Kevin got home from school on our anniversary in March and in April Monkey turned two days after we moved here to southern New Mexico. We spent a lot of the summer settling in here, painting, buying some new furniture for the dining room. Monkey and I took a swimming class together. Monkey started his school and tumbling - Kevin continues his training. During those months, we decided that it was time for us to pursue the adoption we have been talking about forever. We started our home study and contracted with Lifetime Adoption. For Thanksgiving my Mom visited, and we had a lovely Christmas with our little family here. We also found out yesterday that the final two pieces came in - we are officially home study approved!

The road to adoption has had a few bumps so far - my unreadable fingerprints for starters. We had some odd delays with our home study that can only lead both Kevin and I to believe that our baby must not quite be ready to come home.

Today, we felt the confidence that we would soon be parents again and decided to buy some baby girl clothes - we have all of Monkey's beautiful barely worn baby clothes for a baby boy. And hey - who knows - maybe we'll be blessed with twins! We also started collecting diapers for when the time comes. Next we'll get a few bottles to have on hand, since we didn't use them for Monkey. After that, we'll be set!

So - goodbye 2010! Hello to the start of a beautiful new year and (hopefully) an expanded family in our household!

Wishing the best to you and yours!

We Got Some News

The mother of the baby girl that was thinking of adoption has decided to parent her daughter!

While I am sad for us, I wish her all the best and hope that she has a wonderful support system to help her raise her daughter. The situation sounds slightly tenuous, so we left word that if something were to change, that we would welcome a call. However, at this point we don't really expect that and hope that the pair of them have a most wonderful life.

New Blog Design

While we're wishing, hoping and fervently praying that we hear something soon, I decided to update the background to reflect our hopeful Christmas Miracle.

Maybe it'll bring us some luck!

A Prayers and Positive Thoughs Request

Tonight, we heard of a possibly available adoption situation - a baby girl born on CHRISTMAS DAY, no less - from a dear friend!

We have passed along all of our information and praying to hear that this could be our baby!

I don't want to post details until we know more, but please send out thoughts and prayers for us! This is very nerve-racking to say the least. The planner in me is ready to start getting things in order, but I don't want to do that and have things fall through. So maybe throw in a prayer or two for patience?

Adoption thus far...

There hasn't been a whole lot of action on the adoption front. Our home study is nearly complete - just waiting on the background checks from the last two states we have lived in, and then it will be absolutely, finally complete. This gives me some measure of hope, as then we will be able to be presented to potential first families that are making a last minute decision.

I have decided to donate all of my maternity clothes to our adoption facilitators birth mother closet. They give clothing, food and other assistance to mothers that they are working with that need help. I am clearly not going to be needing the maternity clothes, and someone else can get much more use out of them.

The waiting seems...interminable.

I know it hasn't been very long in the grand scheme of things, as we've only been active for about four months. In pregnancy time, we'd be past the first trimester and the most risk of miscarriage. We'd be hearing the heartbeat for the first time. We'd wonder about screening results, and bicker about whether or not to find out the gender. We'd start finalizing what type of birth we wanted and work toward that goal.

With adoption, we don't have milestones to look forward to. We don't have a way to mark the passage of the time, or a definitive - or even a hazy - outlook on when we can expect to be blessed with our second child.



I have not ever been a very religious person. I have felt the need to "try on" different faiths but nothing has ever felt quite right. Honestly, I was content with out it. I felt that there was SOMETHING out there, bigger than we can know, but not what or who. In general, I regard faith as a mountain, with many paths to the top. And my view of God has been like a beautifully cut diamond - one whole with many different facets, and each facet having had a name.

Now...I feel something different. I don't have a name for it. I find myself reading and reading to find where I fit. Most recently, I have read, in order: The Faith Club by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver and Priscilla Warner; The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller; and finally, The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel.

I really liked the first and last book - the second didn't hold my attention as well. Lee Strobel's book convinced me to buy it because he was an atheist, whose wife became Christian. He thought she was out of her mind, so did a ton of research for himself, that led to his own conversion to Christianity. He also has some other books that I intend to read - The Case for a Creator, The Case for Faith, The Case for the Real Jesus.

I'm not sure where my journey will lead me, but I hope that it is a fulfilling one. It relates back to our Adoption Journey, because I have felt what I haven't really felt the need to do before, except sporadically. To pray. I am not sure to Who, and I hope that someone is Listening to my pleas. I think I want to believe, and have faith, but I'm not sure how.

For now, what I have will be enough.

Tonight, that is a fervent prayer, hope and wish for all of the women struggling with the decision to place their precious children for adoption. I pray for a faceless woman that I have yet to meet that she finds peace with herself, her God, and her decision. I hope she finds Joy in finding the perfect family for her Child. I hope that one day, some how, one of you beautiful souls chooses our family.

Another Catch Up

Apparently, I am a lot worse at blogging than I thought I would be. I think it will be my New Years Resolution to update the blog once a week. Not much consolation, but it's what I can do now.

November was National Adoption Awareness Month! It was a pretty good month here in the R house. Early in the month, Kevin bought tickets for us to see Dane Cook for my birthday! I was very excited, and wish I hadn't forgotten to take my camera. We've settled into a routine though, a new cleaning routine and one with regards to Monkey and his twice a week/half day school and once a week gymnastics class.

I turned 27 on November 19th. My mom got here to visit for Thanksgiving the day after. And the next day she watched Monkey so Kevin and I could go see Dane! SQUEE! He was funny as I don't know what and it felt good to be out and about without Monkey. It was a bit strange though. While Mom was here, we went to visit a nearby town a couple of times and White Sands National Monument. It's beautiful there. Monkey had tons of fun visiting his Nana.

On Thanksgiving, we had a couple from down the street and their son over. He's a few months younger than Monkey, and they have lots of fun playing. Mom stayed until the next Wednesday.

The next week was not as great - we found out that our beloved Great Dane, Kira, has some back, hip and knee issues. She is now on anti-inflammatory medication and such and seems to be moving around so much better.

Now it is December, which has mostly been un-eventful. Christmas is in just a few days! I am so very excited for Monkey to wake up Christmas morning. It was so magical as a child, and I can't wait to see his face. His big gifts this year are a train table and new bedroom furniture. The furniture is kind of a necessity, seeing as he is very tall like Mr Monkey and the toddler bed just isn't working anymore!

All in all, it has been very good. Next up: Adoption feelings and update.