We finally have our second and last interview for our homestudy scheduled for this coming Monday, August 2nd. Please pray this interview goes well and we are able to get our homestudy completed quickly afterward so we can move on to waiting for a birthmother to pick us.
P.S. If you like coffee, don't forget about our coffee fundraiser we have going on. Just click the link on the right side of this page to go to our coffee homepage. Even though only a few flavors are displayed on the homepage, you can follow the links on the left side of that page to see all the other flavors the company offers. Just make sure our names are displayed at the top of the page you're viewing, and we will receive a portion of the sale for our adoption! An easy and *tasty* way to help out our adoption! I would also like to say a big THANKS to those of you who have already bought some coffee from the site! We appreciate your help with our adoption!
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Matching Blanket
I made a baby blanket! Obviously I won't use this while my baby is little, but eventually my baby will be a toddler and will need a blanket matching the rest of the decorations in the room. So...since I had extra material and extra time, I decided to make a blanket. It really didn't take me long at all, and I am really proud of it!
Hopefully we are going to be able to get our homestudy completed next week, so pray that we can get that done and move on to the next step.
Hopefully we are going to be able to get our homestudy completed next week, so pray that we can get that done and move on to the next step.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Baby stuff!
So thanks to my friend Jen(and I guess Taylor too!) we now have a bunch of baby stuff! She has a two-year-old and has had all this stuff sitting in her attic. We now have it to use for our coming baby. I'm really excited because we are barely going to have enough money for the adoption, which means it will be difficult to get all the things we need for our baby once he or she is home. And to top it off, all of it matches our "green" theme! Here are some pics of our "new" stuff!
I'm still not positive about the car seat. It's only 2-ish years old which is good and I LOVE the colors, but the LATCH system on the base was recalled. For both of our cars I think the LATCH system is supposed to be the safest option, so I'm hoping that we can find a new base that will fit the car seat. On top of that we would like to have a base in both cars. So we'll see about that one.
Anyway, a big THANKS to Jen and Taylor, and now all we need is a baby! :)
I'm still not positive about the car seat. It's only 2-ish years old which is good and I LOVE the colors, but the LATCH system on the base was recalled. For both of our cars I think the LATCH system is supposed to be the safest option, so I'm hoping that we can find a new base that will fit the car seat. On top of that we would like to have a base in both cars. So we'll see about that one.
Anyway, a big THANKS to Jen and Taylor, and now all we need is a baby! :)
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Matching baskets!
So I've just realized I've had a lot of posts recently, and I'm expecting you to read them ALL, so make sure you backtrack all the way through June to make sure you don't miss a moment of my exciting life! ;)
So the good thing about making your own baby stuff is that you can make it all match. I finally figured out how to make basket-liners that match my curtain, crib skirt, and wall hangings. I had a pattern but for some reason even though the pics on the pattern looked to be rectangle baskets, the pattern was for square baskets, which are pretty difficult to find. So I just invented my own pattern. :) I've only made two liners so far, but I found baskets for 40% off at Michaels so I have a total of 5 baskets to line. Here are pics of my baskets.
Also...we bought some cheap furniture for the baby's room that we found on Harding's classifieds. I originally wanted to get a low dresser that we could double as a changing table, but I couldn't really find anything I liked in a price range I liked. I'm definitely a bargain-hunter when it comes to furniture. I only paid $20 for my dresser and we got Nate's chest of drawers for free. Eventually I'm sure we will get a matching bedroom set, but for now we obviously don't have the money. Anyway...I couldn't find anything I liked, so when I found this chest of drawers for $15 I jumped at it. We ended up paying $25 and we also got too little bookshelves. The only problem with them is the color. I was planning on doing an espresso for the crib (and now I will get the matching changing table), but these are a natural color. I haven't decided if I'm just going to leave them how they are, or if I'm going to try to paint them a dark brown to go with the espresso crib. I may end up painting one of the bookshelves first to see how it looks. Here are pics of my finds.
So the good thing about making your own baby stuff is that you can make it all match. I finally figured out how to make basket-liners that match my curtain, crib skirt, and wall hangings. I had a pattern but for some reason even though the pics on the pattern looked to be rectangle baskets, the pattern was for square baskets, which are pretty difficult to find. So I just invented my own pattern. :) I've only made two liners so far, but I found baskets for 40% off at Michaels so I have a total of 5 baskets to line. Here are pics of my baskets.
Also...we bought some cheap furniture for the baby's room that we found on Harding's classifieds. I originally wanted to get a low dresser that we could double as a changing table, but I couldn't really find anything I liked in a price range I liked. I'm definitely a bargain-hunter when it comes to furniture. I only paid $20 for my dresser and we got Nate's chest of drawers for free. Eventually I'm sure we will get a matching bedroom set, but for now we obviously don't have the money. Anyway...I couldn't find anything I liked, so when I found this chest of drawers for $15 I jumped at it. We ended up paying $25 and we also got too little bookshelves. The only problem with them is the color. I was planning on doing an espresso for the crib (and now I will get the matching changing table), but these are a natural color. I haven't decided if I'm just going to leave them how they are, or if I'm going to try to paint them a dark brown to go with the espresso crib. I may end up painting one of the bookshelves first to see how it looks. Here are pics of my finds.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Adoption Issue
Here is a paragraph I wrote for one of the book reports I had the "privilege" of writing. Some of this may not make complete sense because I wrote it assuming the reader had some knowledge of the contents of the book, but I think you can still get the general idea. I don't think this issue is as big a deal today as it was 10 years ago, but I have definitely seen places where it is still a problem. If we want change, we need to be aware of issues when we see them, and be willing to speak up to let others know something should be done. This also means talking with your children when presented with a situation like this, and letting them know that there is a difference in the way the word "adoption" is used. The next time someone tries to get you to "adopt" something, speak up!
Another observation this book made that will really help me while parenting my child is the responsibility we have to be advocates for our child and the adoption system in general. This book pointed out how recently our society has started trying to sell things by providing the “adopt-a” approach to tug on the heartstrings of consumers. This includes “adopted” cabbage patch kids, and "adopt-a" highway, animal, book, tree, park, etc. Unfortunately the use of the word “adopt” associated with these programs can really cause problems for children, whether they are adopted or not. Children are concrete thinkers and don’t understand that there is a difference between adopting a person, and adopting something else. Children don’t understand why they can’t take home an animal at the zoo that they’ve “adopted” or how other people could also adopt that same animal. A child in foster care might be teased by another child with taunts such as, “We adopted a giraffe. Nobody wants you!” Children also start to wonder if adoption just means giving children to the parents with the most money. Finally, even with adoption programs that animal shelters provide, if children see an animal “adopted” but later returned because of a problem the animal has that can’t be fixed, that makes them start to question the permanence of their own adoptions. Adults are able to think abstractly and see the difference between adopting a child and adopting a tree, but children haven’t reached this level of maturity yet. It is up to me to help people understand the issues an “adopt-a” program could cause, and help come up with alternate solutions. Thankfully this issue doesn’t seem to be as big now as it has been in the past, and for the most part, I see adopting an animal from a humane society to be the closest use of the term.
Another observation this book made that will really help me while parenting my child is the responsibility we have to be advocates for our child and the adoption system in general. This book pointed out how recently our society has started trying to sell things by providing the “adopt-a” approach to tug on the heartstrings of consumers. This includes “adopted” cabbage patch kids, and "adopt-a" highway, animal, book, tree, park, etc. Unfortunately the use of the word “adopt” associated with these programs can really cause problems for children, whether they are adopted or not. Children are concrete thinkers and don’t understand that there is a difference between adopting a person, and adopting something else. Children don’t understand why they can’t take home an animal at the zoo that they’ve “adopted” or how other people could also adopt that same animal. A child in foster care might be teased by another child with taunts such as, “We adopted a giraffe. Nobody wants you!” Children also start to wonder if adoption just means giving children to the parents with the most money. Finally, even with adoption programs that animal shelters provide, if children see an animal “adopted” but later returned because of a problem the animal has that can’t be fixed, that makes them start to question the permanence of their own adoptions. Adults are able to think abstractly and see the difference between adopting a child and adopting a tree, but children haven’t reached this level of maturity yet. It is up to me to help people understand the issues an “adopt-a” program could cause, and help come up with alternate solutions. Thankfully this issue doesn’t seem to be as big now as it has been in the past, and for the most part, I see adopting an animal from a humane society to be the closest use of the term.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Another Letter
I found this letter in another book I'm reading. This is a letter an adoptee imagined God writing to her parents to show her gratitude for them.
Dear Retha and Mike,
One of my children needs a home-a mother and father who will love her and provide for her.
I know how much you wanted to have children. I know the tears and anguish you have experienced. But the only way I could make a place for this child in your home was through the open door of your infertility.
I am loaning her to you for a while to take care of. Do the best you know how to do, for she is precious to Me.
Someday, when you are gone, I will be her mother and father. She will learn to trust Me and depend on me as she did on you.
Thank you for being willing to love My daughter and give her a home on earth.
Love,
God
From: Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew, by: Sherrie Eldridge
Dear Retha and Mike,
One of my children needs a home-a mother and father who will love her and provide for her.
I know how much you wanted to have children. I know the tears and anguish you have experienced. But the only way I could make a place for this child in your home was through the open door of your infertility.
I am loaning her to you for a while to take care of. Do the best you know how to do, for she is precious to Me.
Someday, when you are gone, I will be her mother and father. She will learn to trust Me and depend on me as she did on you.
Thank you for being willing to love My daughter and give her a home on earth.
Love,
God
From: Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew, by: Sherrie Eldridge
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