giving thanks

we're packing our bags and heading to be with family for thanksgiving.  we're taking some important things with us this year - and it's not turkey and stuffing!

• initial adoption application
• doctor's approval letters
• printed photos of us
• padded mailer

we plan on taking the time this next week to officially finish our initial application and make sure we are ready to get this thing in the mail by December 1.  we're so excited to finally be at this stage of the game.  since we've been fighting infertility since 2004 it seemed like a baby would never come, but now we can both not only see why we're on this path, but why we needed to wait, and why adoption is how we'd be building our family.  we're both so hopeful and assured by God that a baby is on the way.

i feel like putting the application in the mail box is going to feel like getting a positive pregnancy test.  i remember talking with will last thanksgiving.  we were standing in his parent's yard discussing our Christmas letter, where we were announcing the plans for preparedness in adoption for 2011.  we talked about how open we'd be with family and friends so as to not deprive ourselves of the feelings and support that expectant parents have all along the way.  i do not think either one of us dreamed how not cheated we'd feel by this process, and how much more amazing we feel right now than we ever hoped we could.

so much to be thankful for this thanksgiving.

orphan sunday

Bethany's facebook just reminded me of the following:

Bethany Christian Services:

"It's Orphan Sunday - remember God's words: 'Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.' Matthew 18:5"

being so thankful for this day - everyone at church who is being so supportive on this journey - and for my wonderful husband who has a pure heart and is so ready to love "our" child.

november = adoption awareness

november is here.  hard to believe -

however, it's great because november is national adoption awareness month.  we figured it was the perfect time to request our initial application and plan to do that on friday.  we're excited to finally be at the point where we feel we are ready to fill this out, and seriously get the ball rolling.

God speaks in whispers for most of our life, but lately He has been yelling (hollering if you are from the south) at us.  friday night we found out about a haunted house alternative that was focusing on adoption.  we arrived saturday night and found tables filled with pamphlets, brochures, and informational cards about sponsoring women and children who were needy, helping to foster, and adoption.  also this weekend we saw the sweetest thing - a dad with four pre-teens at dinner.  each of the teens was of a different ethnicity.  each one of them called him daddy.  they all laughed, hugged, and played games with each other.  the daddy was teaching them about vegetarianism and what they could order off the vietnamese menu.  two of the four were rocking mowhawks and i told will that i hoped that was a snapshot of what was to come.  he agreed this is where we want to be in 10 years.  sunday morning we got in the car on the way to church to hear a radio show about adoption in nc.  we both just looked at each other and smiled.

we heard all of this because we are aware.  we are in a place where we are open to what is going on around us and are paying attention to everything adoption related.  we pray daily for the mother that will carry the child we will adopt, the child that is probably not even born yet, everyone in their lives, and orphans around the world.  it's opened our eyes to a new way of seeing things.  we're seeing more and we're seeing more clearly.

we know God has gotten us to this place.  the most wonderful feelings of satisfaction with our choice, but not really that - more like the satisfaction in knowing that we are finally listening to God, and following the plan he has for our lives.  we are stoked.

you cannot wrap up october without an obligatory pumpkin posting, so here is a smattering of what happened.

here is the tale of our halloween pumpkin.

i am the drawer of the designs.

will has mad knife skills.

will surgically removes the guts.

then, together we carve the designs.

this year's trick-or-treat message:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
--- James 1:27

Encouraging everyone to adopt and find the love that we see is on the horizon.  If you are not in the position to adopt, please sponsor a needy child or assist family in your area or overseas. 

Sponsor a child through Bethany Christian Services

Sponsor a child through World Vision

Cosponsor a refugee through Church World Service

Support children's disaster services through Church of the Brethren

photo shoot - take 1 - and that's a wrap!

we received our photo disc from kaitlin this past week.  http://www.2point5d.com/  we were overwhelmingly excited to review the disc and see how everything turned out.  everyone has been asking how it went and is interested to see the pics.  we could not have been happier with how our story and message will be conveyed to the birth parents through these photos.  for this reason, we've both decided that we'd like to keep our photo shoot pictures private until we complete the profile book to submit to our agency.  the purpose of the photo shoot is to convey the story of our lives, what we see for their child's future, and the love we share with each other and with their sweet baby.  we think it best to work to create the book privately and then to share it with everyone electronically when it is fully complete, so that everyone can understand the purpose behind the photos we've selected.

to throw everyone a bone we picked one sample picture to give you a taste of what's to come. 

thanks again to GOD for getting us on this path and walking with us in this journey.  a million thanks as well to our photographer kaitlin roten (former jmu alumni), all of our friends, and our families for all of their love and support as we prepare to begin the paperwork portion of our journey.  we'll be requesting our packet mid-november for a december first submission.  we're ecstatic to be on this journey and are so looking forward to what is about to unfold.

lil' red rocker

stumbled upon this little red rocker the other day.  i thought this was just the perfect addition to the nursery. 

my two sisters and i used to love to sit in our little rockers and watch some tv.  lori would actually sit in hers until she was about 13.  she was the only one who could still fit her little booty in it.

husband also loves rocking chairs.  he's always been a huge fan; just loves rockin' it up!

can't wait to see our little one rockin' and rolling!

phase I complete

yesterday was the big day - the day that all of this hard work has led up to.  we had to get the nursery ready for the photo shoot, and the photo shoot had to be october 9th since it was the last session our photographer would have before taking time off for her own maternity leave.

we had long check lists, we had hundreds of things to do, everything needed to be "perfect".  for months we had worked on the yard, the house, ourselves.  but we made it - everything on the check list got done.  time for the photo shoot arrived and we were surprisingly calm when we met kaitlin (http://www.2point5d.com/).  she was sweet and helped us relax.  husband and i both commented that we did not even feel like we were being photographed - a definite sign of a great photographer.  we cannot wait to see how the pictures turn out.  we know they will reflect our love for each other, our hope for the future with our baby, and the fun and joy that we have in life.

so the big reveal of how the nursery turned out is now due.  below are my own photos of the finished room.  we still have to arrange to pick up my mother's rocking chair, but everything else is in place. 

now we can breathe easier knowing that this phase is behind us. 

we can focus on our paperwork and getting things ready for our initial application submission.  we'll keep you posted on our progress and where we stand in the process.

connections and opportunities

there's been a lot of connecting with strangers lately.  we've opened up and when people ask us what is going on with us, we talk about adoption.  people are curious.  they want to know things about what is going on with the process.  some things we can explain, and others we just do not have answers for.

here is what we know:

• how lucky we are that God has selected this path for us
• we've decided we're doing a domestic infant program in the US
• this program means we could be the proud parents of an infant between the ages of 0 - 3 months
• we've decided we're open to a baby of any gender and any ethnic background
• we know we are ready to love any baby that God calls us to adopt
• we pray for the birth parents and baby on a daily (and sometimes hourly basis)

here is what we are unsure of:

• we don't know how long the process will take once our paperwork has been approved
• we don't know how long it will take to complete all of the paperwork and complete the home study
• how we will handle a match if it falls through
• we don't fully understand how our lives will change with the addition of a new life
• we've had discussions of what will change, how things will work differently, and what we need to be prepared for - but i don't think we will fully understand this until it happens

i went into our small downtown area friday night to pick out a new wreath for our front door.  while there i chatted with the shop owner about preparing for our profile book photos.  she told me how "admirable" it was that we were adopting, since so many babies needed homes.  i've really felt badly about this ever since.  i should have used that opportunity to tell her that i am just doing what God wants me to do, and that it is me who is on the receiving end of something that is admirable, and that the person who should be most admired is the biological parent(s) that are choosing life for their child and loving them enough to give them up for adoption.  but i did not say any of this, i just blew it. 

but, i guess the fact that i cannot stop thinking about it proves that all of my reading may finally be paying off -

because i will be ready next time.

this life

how does this life go so fast?

while i work from home on my laptop there is a desktop with a photo screen saver scrolling through photos in the background.  a few of the photos from Christmas 2009 just scrolled past.  at first i thought - oh wow - there is my nephew with his guitar at Christmas.  then i thought - oh wow - he was 9 when he got that.  then i thought - oh wow - he has had a birthday since then (that was in february).  then i thought - oh my goodness it is almost october!

my question is - how does time go by so quickly?  if things are flying by this quickly now, before we even have a child in the mix, how quickly are those moments going to speed right on by? 

scary thought.

cherish every moment.

work in progress

we're running around like crazy people. this past week was a whirl wind with us being out on vacation the week before. we still have not found time to go to the grocery store to get restocked. (you may ask - is blogging more important than the grocery store? it's not that it is not important, i am just so exhausted, i do not think i could make a lap around the store.)


we're attempting to get everything in tip top shape. everything includes work, our relationship with each other, our relationships with God, our home (inside and out), our finances, and our physical bodies. this past week and this weekend we successfully accomplished all of the following:- caught up on the work at our jobs - this is something that has been a daunting task. we've both been working overtime, nights, weekends, and working until 4am last night. it's just crazy.

- we joined the gym and are working to eat more healthfully. this is an ongoing battle and we want to set a good example for our child.

- created a plant bed in our front yard - we needed to get our yard in top notch shape for our profile photos and are working with a drought in the area, so hopefully these little plants will drink up the gift of rain over the next three days.

- hung all of the nursery art on the walls - each piece was carefully thought about, so that our baby's room would be filled with art work that would help him/her grow, find joy in life, love their family, never forget where they came from, be respectful of God's creatures and other human beings, and be excited for the future.

- were gifted the most amazingly wonderful changing table from our dear friends mark and kathy. mark found this piece for us at his work and has been working diligently to get it restored. we've just got a few finishing touches to put the a&w touch on it. it's so fantastic, i just cannot wait to get some pics up here to show you. (stay tuned!)

- spent time together at a matthew west concert on friday night. this evening transformed our lives in an emotional and spiritual way. matthew west's tour speaks of "the story of your life". will and i felt every song that comprised the album spoke to our lives and our journey to this point. the song "the healing has begun" was something that solidified the reassurance that we are on the right path. i know i've said it 100 times, but everything is speaking to me lately reaffirming that we are following God's plan. however, this song reminds me that even after all we've been through that God is not done with us, and through the adoption of this child we will have fulfilled a part of God's plan for our lives.


Matthew West Concert - The Healing Has Begun - YouTube clip

will and i both know that our healing has begun and we are well on our way to being where we'd like to be. while one's journey is never over, we at least know we are being healed and are on the right path. we're healing from emotional wounds where we felt we were "damaged" in not being able to have children of our own, we're healing from physical ailments that have plagued the both of us throughout the past 15 years, we're healing in our knowledge that God's grace is here for us.

we had so much fun friday night!

 

below are some snapshot segments from the nursery walls!

 

this is a series of three child like cut outs that hang to the right of the nursery window.  these were created by artist sandy mastroni.  these little girls are a symbol of the love that my sisters and i share for each other.  although we are different in so many ways, we love each other unconditionally and are always there for each other.  we want our child to always be reminded how important family is.

 

this is the series of artwork that will hang directly over the changing table on the wall across from the crib.  each one of these pieces was created, or hand picked with a purpose.  here's what we've got:

je t'aime - i created this piece from scrapbooking supplies to always remind our child how much they are loved.  it's written in french to also be a reminder that there is more out there than what we see in our day to day life, and to be excited to go - see - and do.

harrisonburg map - this map was found in a box that my mom carefully packed for me with memoirs from college.  will and i met at james madison university in 1996.  we met, fell in love, and never left each other's side.  we lived in harrisonburg until will graduated jmu in december of 1999.

"growing horns" - this print by Leah Duncan is a reminder of growth and of course my "sweet darling deer".  this past week will screamed for me to "come quick" into the keeping room and look at the deer.  there, in our back yard were a mother and baby deer feasting on our cherry trees.  (some people would be upset about their trees, but we moved onto their land, so how irritated can you be?)  i carefully tried to snap their photos without using the flash, just grabbing their shadows against the neighbor's driveway lights, but couldn't.  i sat and watched them for over twenty minutes until they decided to move on to another place.  there's just something about the deer that we gotta have in the room.

family portrait - by artist Jordan Grace Owens is a custom made set of moveable dolls framed on the nursery wall.  the artist is going to create a baby to join the family once we send her word that our special arrival has joined the family.  we hope this little family portrait will always remind our child of the support that they have from our family and the togetherness they will always feel in our relationship with them.



baby fever

everywhere i turn and every facebook update i seem to run across this week is announcing someone else's pregnancy. i imed husband at work today to tell him that i just found out someone else is preggo. i then followed up by telling him (just in case he forgot) that we are more pregnant than we've been in a long time with the adoption on the horizon.

putting together the nursery has helped us to see how real this is all becoming. the baby bedding just arrived last night. we ate our supper and ripped into the boxes to get the bedding out and see what we'd created. we worked together to get the skirt on and lined up, the sheet tucked in, the bumper ties tied, and the blanket folded just so.
then - we just stood back and admired our work.
we were happy with the colors we'd selected and what it says about us and the type of environment we want to provide to our little one. we're happy that it’s colorful, it’s whimsical, it’s non-traditional, and it’s fun.

while we were at the beach last week i finished reading our latest adoption book. it’s been so great to just focus on gathering so much helpful information to get started (before we actually get started). we found out we needed to get will a new ssn card, we got a new copy of our marriage license, and we got some documents from our general practitioner. we're wrapping up a refi on the house and stocking up on things when they go on sale. we're more ready for a baby to come into this house than we've ever been before. so much more than we ever were when we were previously actually physically pregnant.
a dear friend sent me an email today that quoted the following:

The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.  To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did. When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.

this could not be more of the truth. God has steered us down this path, encouraging us all the while. He has built us up as individuals and as a couple to prepare for this most amazing journey of our lives. pregnancy is "carrying" a baby.  with all of this knowledge and preparedness we are totally "pregnant".

sneak peak

(we'll post more photos when the room is completely done.)

date nights - book 'em while you can!

this past weekend was the labor day holiday.  will and i looked forward to a weekend of rest, a weekend of getting things done, a weekend of being together.  friday night started out with a "date".  (you may be asking yourself why a married kidless couple has to plan a date, but when your poor dh works around the clock at two different jobs and maintains a church website, you have to get in there when you can!) 

dh got off work early on friday and we headed out to a pottery painting studio.  i had a platter that i'd picked up at the local goodwill store for $4 and i was looking to get that painted up for a surprise for a special someone this thanksgiving.  dh wanted to make something for the nursery.  we scanned the store and he decided on a little hippo bank.  he liked the idea of me giving him a color palette to choose from.  he did not want to have to play the matching game with the rainbow room.  we stayed until they closed and were both very happy with our art work.  the pieces will be ready this friday, and we cannot wait to see how they turn out.

dear husband paints

i paint too

after painting we headed to a local seafood restaurant and dined al fresco on the patio while enjoying some live music.  the fella had a really nice voice and we really felt like we were at a jimmy buffett concert on numerous songs.  the weather was nice, and the company even nicer.  we had a great time enjoying each other's company.

it's hard to imagine someone else being in our everyday lives.  we're so ready for that little person to join us, but it's just hard to imagine how each waking moment will be.  i guess it's something you are not fully prepared for until it happens.  until that time comes, dh will be working around the clock pulling in extra money for the adoption, and i will keep busy on etsy, artwork, and blogs to stay out of his way.  today as we shopped around target at the baby sale dh exclaimed "we're getting a baby!"  as a dear sister of mine loves to say "mano-mano-mano-witz" - we're getting excited!

family ties

being with family always reminds us how important it is to build a family of our own. 

this past week i traveled to va to visit my baby sister and her husband since they were in from chicago.  since my job affords me the luxury of working "from home" my new found freedom with my new laptop extends that luxury into working "remotely" anywhere that i can get the internet.  therefore i was able to go to va, work during the day, and then spend the nights with my sisters, my parents, and other extended family.

we always have a wonderful time when we're together.  the laughter that explodes from our collective presence is always something contagious.  the stories we all so vividly tell are so intricate with detail that they keep us hanging on each other's every word.  we're bonded, were strong, we're fun to be around!  i just love every single one of them to pieces. 

while i was in town my parents threw a cook out for baby sister's friends to come visit and hang out.  one of sister's friends had spoken to her a while back about their challenges in becoming pregnant.  when i found out about it, and we were full fledge into the land of "if", i felt an instant bond and longed to help.  i reached out to her and we chatted for a few months, and then before you knew it - she'd left the land of "if" and they're now expecting a little girl.  when i first found out, i have to admit i was a bit sad.  it's sad to see people come and go on this island, but once i saw her and her husband at the cook out i was over joyed by the happiness i felt for them.  it's so good to be in this place.  a place where we can feel genuine happiness for others who successfully become pregnant and carry healthy babies to term, a place where we can not think of ourselves and the sadness we've been through, but a place where we can focus on the celebration of new life.

baby sister got husband and i some anniversary presents for our sweet baby darling deer.  she scored a baby book for adoptive parents!  how amazingly wonderful!  it's so exciting to see things like this that make our process more real and so special.  we're so lucky to have these loving friends and family, and can't wait to have our little one growing up around such wonderful people.

could be done

when i get into a project working on that is all i can think about.  starting yesterday it was this canvas.  i worked on it for hours without even stopping to go to the restroom, get a drink, or get any food.  then today, when rain cancelled our baseball game adventure the first thing i thought of was painting.  i worked on it until i got it to a place that i liked - and now it could be done.

could be done?  well, yes - this is how i work.  i will have to live with it for a week or so, and then in the middle of the night some time i might wake up from a dead sleep and think of something else i need to do to it before it's officially "done".  once this happens i will frame it and get it securely mounted to the wall.

now that i stand back and look at it, it reminds me of why i love it so much.

first off, it reminds me of how colorful husband and i are.  we love art, we love color.  we love adventure.  we love going where we've never been before and trying new things.  we're loud people.  if you invite us over - you know we're there.  we aren't afraid of anything when we're together.  it's that somewhere over the rainbow sort of mantra.

just look at a sampling of husband's closet:

and then my favorite necklace:

now you can see why i was so inspired by the painting at anthropologie and how it is so perfectly wonderful for our baby's room.

so we will see if it gets any further adaptations before going on the wall, and if it does i will be sure and let you know.

ta da!

so we searched the internet and found the best deal on the jenny lind crib was at babies r us.  we headed into the store this afternoon - finally ready to buy something for "our" own baby!  what a novel idea!  you see - we've been in baby stores before - dozens of times - however, we've never been in one to purchase something for "our" baby before.  too exciting!

we made our way into the store and i avoided eye contact with all employees because i wanted no questions about "when is the baby due".  luckily we escaped without any of that and even had the associate load up the crib into our car.  the cashier asked us if we had a coupon - and i got a little defensive - like, where would one get such a coupon?  (i call myself a bargain hunter - so the fact there was a coupon out there that i did not know about was a little bit of a let down.)  she told us we needed to sign up for their rewards program so we would get coupons in the mail... good to know.  hopefully we will get one by the time we need to go back and get the mattress.

husband and i both decided that we're fine without the mattress until the bedding comes, and the minute that the bedding arrives we had better have made a decision about the mattress because we'd be buying one that instant!  (we have ants in our pants.)

husband had some work to do for his second job so i wanted to get to work painting the artwork for the nursery.  he'd be busy on his laptop and i'd be busy with my canvas.  (amelia decided it was like college again.)  however, it was not about 10 minutes that had passed when husband strolled into the nursery and said "when did you want me to put the crib together?"  i said "anytime is fine with me!" - and so it began.

i made sure he read the instructions first.  we've put together lots of furniture from ikea in our 14 years together, and it never fails that something is a little off.

but this time was different.  we were getting the things together the way they were supposed to go, and everything was looking good!

nice work husband!

until the last screw went in for the springs.  then i scratched my head and asked if the coils were supposed to point up like this?  i was thinking that could do a number on the bottom side of the mattress...husband said that it was how it was in the manual.  but then he looked at it again.  he confirmed - we'd put that part on upside down.

woopsie! - so we took the metal piece back off and flipped it over for a re-install.

amelia helped us get back on track.  she made sure to stand by for the entire procedure in case we needed an extra pair of paws.

then - ta da!  all finito!  husband had created an adorable crib for our nursery room!

now we just have to finish the artwork, wait for the carpet cleaner to come, unroll the rug from land of nod, put on the bedding, stain the new changing table (that our wonderful friends kathy and mark found for us!), and hang the curtains!  shew - hopefully we will be all done by october 2nd and we can just sit back and relax before the big photo shoot!

need advice...

we're off to babies r us tomorrow to pick up our crib.  i decided on the jenny lind style back in 2004, when we were pregnant the first time.  i've always loved it, so it just seemed like a no brainer when we got ready to prepare our nursery for "real" this time.  however - now that we are actually going to get the crib tomorrow it has dawned on us - what about the mattress?


i don't suppose you can test them out and lay on them like you would at a furniture store where they sell grown up people's mattresses?  so how do you know what kind to purchase?  i've seen some awful reviews, and other reviews that are pretty outstanding - sometimes these are for the same mattress.  so - how do you know which one to get?


any advice?

sweet baby darling deer

this past weekend we visited my side of the family while in roanoke for a memorial service.  around my house i'm known as the "deer yeller".  it's sort of like the "horse whisperer", but not exactly.  anytime we see deer on the roads leading to our subdivision, or anywhere in the neighborhood we stop the car so i can "yell" at them to "stay away from the road!"  it's sort of a running joke around here, and everyone just knows i have this fascination with these animals, and their safety.  while traveling up the blue ridge parkway for the memorial service we ran across about a dozen deer just grazing on grass along the sides of the road.  mom was driving, and she stopped the best she could each time, so i could jump out and snap their photos. 

she told me when i got back in the car that we should refer to our anticipatory baby as "sweet baby deer". 

i thought it was pretty ironic since i had just recently submitted an online order for my inspiration for the artwork on the smaller side of the baby's room:

the name of this paper is "darling deer". 

so wherever you are tonight - in utero - or not even conceived - we pray for you - our sweet baby darling deer.

preparing our home - preparing our hearts

this weekend has been one of great preparation. as we prepare to get things ready for our photography session on october 9th, we have begun setting up the nursery. to do this we needed to move my office (since i work from home) from the downstairs bedroom to one of the guest bedrooms upstairs. when we first moved into this home we still had hopes that shortly after our arrival (since we were finally settled for good) that we would soon have a baby occupying the main floor bedroom down the hall from our master.  it will be three years next month, that we've lived in this home.  this weekend was the weekend to finally begin to make this room into the nursery it was destined to be.

since husband had his surgery in april, he really was not given the green light to resume all normal activities until the visit to hopkins. with the good news last weekend, we knew he was okay to handle heavy lifting and we could go ahead and get things going.  i didn't think we could move the entire office in one weekend, but he amazed me and we got it done. we still have to hang the pictures on the walls of the new office and put some cord ties on the dangling mess of cord tangle that hangs behind the desks, but we're 97% there. 

the move leaves us with a blank canvas down stairs. this afternoon after church we decided on a paint color for the walls. we opted for a very pale grey (dolphin) to compliment the bedding and serve as a backdrop for the very colorful artwork and accessories that will soon fill the space. as i prepped to put the first coat of paint on the walls i just laid in the floor of the empty room and began to cry.   not tears of sadness, but tears of joy.  i feel so thankful - so grateful that GOD is giving us this experience. an experience to grow together, to walk a journey together, to build a family together, all with him in the center of it.  i have to think that if we were blessed with a full term baby the first time we became pregnant in 2004 that we would probably not be so connected, so joined, so patient, so thankful, so aware, so grateful for everything we are experiencing now.

(never fear - i'm calling the carpet cleaner tomorrow about this carpet.  it honestly never looked so dingy with a full room of furniture.)

(the rest of the blank slate -  these photos are prior to paint etc.)

husband told me over dinner tonight that he was so thankful that the path our life is on is so wonderfully positive.  he and i both feel that we are fulfilling our destiny to find the baby that GOD has planned for us to parent. every day i feel this more and more.

the pastor's sermon at church today was a lesson on your faith in GOD.  there are just some sermons that i feel are speaking directly to our souls - and this was one of them.  we turned our search for a family over to GOD when we began this process last december, but it's only through this year's trials and searching that we've come to see how our faith in GOD's ability to build our family is the essence of the journey.

the pastor left us with this:  "Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark." -- Rabindranath Tagore

i've always had a fascination with birds and as we're faithful in GOD's path for our adoption, this quote has really touched me.

after church aubrey gifted us an amazing book about adoption. (Sucessful Adoption - A Guide For Christian Families by Nataline Nichols Gillespie) we were so touched that she thought of us on this journey and purchased such a wonderfully helpful tool for us.

i read aloud the forward and the first ten pages as will drove us home.  i then continued to read during painting breaks, but felt i should stop since i was really "skipping ahead".   i'll wait to read more tonight until will and i can do it together.  it's just so amazing how as we continue to prepare the physical things for our baby's arrival, our spiritual path and our hearts continue to be prepared.

green light - go!

will and i just got back from baltimore.  we'd planned a trip around his second opinion visit at johns hopkins.  by the time we had the appointment, we knew his spinal fluid leak was healed, but we kept the appointment since they are so hard to come by.  will felt a huge sense of relief when the doctor confirmed that the leak was gone and that he was 100% healed from his decompression surgery back in april. 

i know he was worried about our adoption paper work and the section that asks about your medical history when you have something looming over you like that.  now we can both peacefully rest assured, knowing that this part of our journey will not present any hurdles.  i asked will in the car on the way home if he thought we should set up an appointment with our primary doctor to get signed letters from her stating that we were both in good condition for adoption.  he proudly told me that he'd already talked to her about it.

love this man!