I am thankful....

As we approach Thanksgiving... I remember what I am thankful for....  

1. I am thankful for the beautiful, brave woman who gave birth to our son. Her choice made us parents and made my dream of being a mother come true.
2. I am thankful for a supportive husband. Our journey to this point was not easy and I was not always an easy person to deal with, but he supported me every step of the way.  He continues to amaze me.
3. I am thankful for our friends and family.  The amount of support we received for our adoption and the continued support boggles my mind. We are so blessed! 
4. I am thankful for some great co-workers.  Coming back to work was difficult, but many of them bring me joy and encourage me to do what is right for my family.
5. I am thankful for great step-kids.  They make me laugh almost daily and they make me a better parent.
6. I am thankful for finally feeling like I am more of who I should be.  It's a daily process, but I'm getting to where I want to be.
7. I am thankful that we have a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs, and clothes on our backs.  Not everyone is so lucky.

National Adoption Month... 2012

November marks National Adoption Month.
Last year at this time we were a waiting family, trying to find ways to adopt more quickly and bring our child home.   This year, we have a 3 month old!   We are blessed to be his parents and are so thankful to the woman who chose us for him.  She was brave and full of love for T.

We have finished 2 out of 3 post-placement visits and have scheduled our last one for the last week in December.  Finalization should occur the second week of February!  I am so excited to have T be officially our child forever.   I look at him and only see my child. There is no question that he was meant to be in our family.    The heartache that I felt in the past year and a half has almost become a distant memory, because now I know what this kind of love is.

Adoption has brought me a little boy who smiles when I walk into the room, a silly baby who laughs and talks and yells, a little brother for the other boys in the house, and joy to more people than we can count.
I'm still amazed that I am washing cloth diapers, mixing formula, getting peed on, and wiping a tiny nose.

3 Month Photos - the littlest love of my life

The smile that melts my heart and brightens every day