Family Pictures

Here are some family pictures that we had taken for our Christmas cards. We had them done with the whole family, too bad I can't post them... Maybe one day. Anyway, our photographer was Heather with Chunky Monkey photography! She has photographed Parker before and we love her work. Anyway, enjoy!

Fall

My Soccer Player!

Its been a while since I have written on this blog...life has been kinda busy!  But, this fall we did enroll Parker in soccer, and he did amazing - scoring his FIRST goal!

And he also got his first trophy!  All in all it was a great season of soccer!

Oh, and I had to make sure he had the coolest socks!

HER

It has been a few days since I have written about what has gone on around here.  And, to be completely honest, its been chaos.  Happy chaos, frustrated chaos, blessed chaos, and exhausted chaos... Does that make sense?

This is day 13 and miss girl has been adjusting well to the household.  She eats well (probably TOO well), sleeps well, interacts well and so on.  She loves Dora, eating, and anything fancy. lol.  My mother-in-law brought over some plastic necklaces and heart shaped plastic bracelets, and she won't leave the house without them!  We go and play at the chick-fil-a playground and we fight because I make her take them off out for fear of her hanging herself on the slide (a mother's imagination is sometimes graphic, you know what I mean...)

She is quite attached to me, which I am OK with.  She doesn't like to see people leave the house, I'm sure, because she wonders if they are every coming back... Sad girl.  She has stopped crying for momma at bedtime and nap time.  Which is good?  or is it bad?  She did start school this week... two days a week... She is SO excited to go, which is SO different from Parker.  I do feel bad taking her there, and I also feel bad for the teachers because I know that she hasn't had structure like that ever in her life!   Its a learning process for all...

Her nickname is Bruiser... because she is just that.  She is the same weight as my 4 year old and almost as tall!  Her favorite saying is 'I do it'.... and she does.  All of it.  All by herself.  Picking up chairs, dressing and undressing herself, picking up heavy objects.  When she can't open a sippy cup or a lid, she opens it with her teeth!  HER TEETH! She gives me a heart attack daily.  Some people speculate that she does all these things by herself because she had to in her home life.  Like no one was there to do things for her.  I refuse to believe that.  I refuse to believe that she was left to fend for herself.  Can't.  Won't.

There is so much more that I can write about this.  How Parker  has adjusted, how I have adjusted.  But, I will save that for later.  Also, I didn't want this to become an adoption/foster blog, but that is whats going on in our lives...So I guess I will write about it!

THE MOST IMPORTANT thing I have learned from this experience is... get ready...  Invest in lice shampoo.  Use it early and often.  And, don't wait till day 10 of her living in your house to use it, unless you want it rampant in your household.  Just saying.  Not because of experience or anything....right....

A family of four...for a while

Yup, we were licensed a week to the day and got our first placement!  It was last Friday night (sept 14th) that we got the call, and 4 hours later CPS arrived with her.  Those 4 hours I spent walking in circles, staring out the blinds like a crazy person.  I can't tell you much, but what I can tell you is that I was A WRECK!

Looking back, I am thankful CPS left her with us seeing as how I was so uptight.  Do I try to interact with her?  Do I pay full attention to the workers while they are here?  I'm signing lots of papers, what do they say?  Where is Parker? I want to go hug her.  Can I?  Will she let me?  We don't have the bolts to the crib.  Oh no, pack and play?  Nope steps right over that. Seriously? The gate at the stairs is too small.  The dog is bleeding all over my new carpet.  A MESS. I almost had a migraine.

But to tell you the truth, she is the best little girl.  I don't think we could have imagined it going any better.  She's so happy, funny, smart, and seems to like us!  Oh, and she loves to shop... I guess it starts early.  It takes so much restraint for me not to buy everything in the store for her...

This is my first day to keep both the kiddos by myself, all.  day.  long.  I applaud all of you stay at home moms with more than 1 kid.  I don't know how you do it.  But we are quickly finding our routine, knowing her cues.

This is an amazing venture we are on.  I don't think that I understand the depths of what is happening right now.  All I know is I have a little girl to love on, for who knows how long.  I am glad we are her safe place.  I know everything happens for a reason, and God brought her into our lives.

Hurry up...and wait

I know that all of you reading this that have gone through the foster/adopt/adoption process have heard the saying, 'hurry up and wait'.  This is what we have been doing since Easter.  But, as of yesterday afternoon (September 6th), we got THE call from our agency!  We are LICENSED! YAY!  Now, what does that mean?  Hurry up and wait.

Matt and I are now licensed with the state to take in children, but have to wait for the right match to come about... hence the waiting part.  Waiting for the phone to ring.  Meanwhile, I feel a sense of urgency to get the house spotless, the rooms ready, etc.  But what do we need?  A crib or a bed?  Baby toys or Parkers toys? Are we going to get a baby or a 3 year old?  1 or 2?  You get the picture.  The controlling side of me is going crazy. I. need. to. know.

 Oh well, I'm sure this is a growing part for me.  Waiting for Gods timing.  Yup, we're waiting...

...I do have a feeling we won't be waiting for long, we shall see.  Keep.  You.  Posted.

Our adoption story

Well,  I know that Matt and I share a week or so ago our plans and desires to adopt from CPS.  For those of you that are interested in the story, here it is.

I remember back when Matt and I were dating (over 6 years ago, YIKES) we both talked about our desires to possibly adopt in the future, but left it at that.  Once we decided to add to our family with children, we found it very easy to conceive.  As most of you know, our first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage at about 11 weeks.  Though devastating for us, we decided that then, more than ever, we wanted a child.  6 weeks later we found out we were pregnant with Parker!

I can't say that my pregnancy was all THAT bad, knowing some other stories that would blow mine out of the water.  But with being on bed rest from 29 weeks on with hypertension and 2 or 3 stays at the hospital, my pregnancy was less than perfect.  BUT, it was after Parker was born that I started having the real trouble.  After dealing with postpartum anxiety and all that entails (that lasted for more than a year), we decided to wait to have any more children.

When Matt and I started to talk about the idea of adding to our family again, we decided that it was best for the whole family unit that I not become pregnant at this point in our lives.  It was too much of a gamble.  Would history repeat itself?  That scared me.  Matt counts on me, Parker counts on me, I couldn't risk it.  So, after many hours and hours.... and hours of conversation, we decided to adopt.

I always knew that adopting though CPS was the route that was best for us.  We actually have friends who were adopting through CPS, and we decided to learn more information about the agency they went through.  After much research, we decided to go with Covenant Kids.  Covenant kids is a Christian, non-profit organization which acts like a liaison between us and CPS.  Up to this point, we have had nothing but GREAT things to say about this organization.  And now that we are deeper into the process, I believe that the support that they offer will be a lifeline for us in the near future.

We started our actual process Easter morning of this year.  We filled out long applications, got physicals, medical tests, went though hours of classes and trainings.  We also had our dreaded homestudy a week and a half ago.  I was so shocked that this part of the process was a breeze!  It did take 4 1/2 hours, but we actually had a good time.

Now with the final documents in and Parker's TB test to turn in Thursday, our part is done.  DONE!  Now all we have to do is wait for them to read over our homestudy and we are licenced! Crazy.  After licensure, we could get a call at any moment, any time of the day.  The unknown is driving me insane.  But, if I were to guess, it will be the first part of September that we will get a child placed.

What type of child?  Our wish is that we receive an adoptable child from 0-2 years old, all races, and we are open to a sibling group of 2.  Matt and I decided together that our max is 2.  We are praying that the right match takes place quickly and easily.

This is a decision that we don't take lightly and that can never be undone.  We are excited and VERY nervous about this opportunity and ask for your continued prayers and encouragement through this time in our lives.  We are excited about how God is going to use us!

...to be continued...

This is how we do

...in only 90 degree weather in TEXAS.  Ahh-mazing.  A typical Compton night... In the driveway, on the tailgate, with fresh chocolate chip cookies!  Of course!

Yup, that face says it all!

Life via iPhone pics

Our Fourth of July festivities with the Lutricks!

Abi and P (I think they would be a cute couple later in life)

Matt... in his element.

Yes, I am this cool

(see above caption)

Enjoying some impromptu splash park time at our old neighborhood

And...

After much thought, prayer, discussion, and research, we hope to add to our family by adoption through CPS.  

We would love your encouragement and prayers as we approach our verification and placement...

...our full story to come.

The Beach

Our little family took a 5 day vacation to Port Aransas Texas.  Ok, so I shouldn't say we 'take vacations' anymore because you people with kids know that there are is not such a thing as a vacation anymore.  With kids, its called a 'trip' -- too much work to be called a vacation...

Anywho, Matt played at his friends 25th wedding anniversary down there, so we just decided to seize the moment and make it a little get away for the family.  This was Parker's first time at the beach.  We had so much fun.  The only thing I regret is that I didn't take more pictures.  

This is a picture that I took from a moving car.  Good, 'eh?

Parkers first moments at the beach!  He was totally not afraid of the ocean, which if you know him, is totally not his style.  My husband threatened to tell him that the ocean 'eats little children' to get him to calm down!  haha..

Building sandcastles with daddy!

Cute kid, right?!

LOVE

We went to the USS Lexington.  Matt and Parker thought it was cool, I did not.  It was 200 degrees.

Future Blue Angel?!

You can't go to the beach without a 'family in the sharks mouth' pic...