Bless Your Heart

Some of you may remember last summer when I was offered a baby at the salon. Well we didn’t hear anything else about it. Then we did. Everything has played out and now I can tell you the story.
The second week of November I had a couple of messages from the girls at the salon. We played a little phone tag and then one of them, we’ll call her Betty, finally said in her message that the mother from last summer came in and wanted to talk to me. OMG. So before I called back I talked to Jon on the off chance that the girl wanted us to have the baby. Jon wasn’t crazy about the idea (since we’d already become attached to Ling Ling) but left the decision up to me. I figured here we are an infertile couple being offered a baby. You take it. I called back and was told the birth mom came into the salon asking for my name and number. Betty asked was it ok if she passed on my info. I said absolutely and also make sure she knows we’ve already had a home study. So Betty called Birth mom. Birth mom told Betty she was meeting with an adoption attorney, that her and her boyfriend were both on board with adopting the baby out to us. So we checked with our attorney and discussed whether or not we’d be able to be ready for a baby in such a short time. She was due December 27th so we had about 6 weeks. We were excited to hear that Birth Mom was expecting a boy. Now our family would surely be complete. And, the baby boy would be almost a year old by the time we were to travel to China. We scrambled around making sure we could get a nursery together. Oddly enough, the day we got the call a case of Enf@mil formula was delivered to our house for some reason. Our family was so excited. We also found out the Birth Mom had not told her family that she was pregnant, so we figured with only a little over a month til the due date, it was almost a sure thing. Then Thanksgiving came and went, then December. We never heard from her. Betty at the salon never heard from her either. We will probably never know what happened. Our guess is that she went home (up North somewhere) for the holidays and her family talked her into keeping the baby. It would break our hearts to think she gave him to someone else. Hopefully, whatever happened, she’s ok and so is the baby.

I suppose everyone will be talking about the Super Bowl today. I watched mainly for the commercials (not so great this year) and I was rooting for Seattle to win their first ever. Oh well.
So instead of rehashing football plays I thought I’d pimp out my new favorite shoe. Last November (04) I bought my first pair of Lands End All Weather Mocs. My cousins in law (is that even a term) were raving about them while we were Christmas shopping. So I picked up a pair in black. They are awesome. Light weight and so comfy. I normally despise any shoe that requires a sock and covers my whole foot, but these are different. Now I have them in mohogany and charcoal too. My sister is wearing them and I’ve even made a believer out of Jon. Now I just hope we go to China when it’s cool out so I’ll know what shoes to pack!

This morning Shannon and I went to a meeting about Lifebooks. When you adopt it is a nice thing to make for your child. Most kids would have scrapbooks or photo albums from pregnancy/birth on, but our photos start with a referral. So a lifebook is something you put together explaining as much as we can about her origins.
Anyway, Shannon and I were the only people there that don’t have our children yet, and many of the other women brought their girls. OMG. I was surrounded by cuteness. Ages 2-5. One little girl really took to me and at one point reached out and grabbed my shirt wanting to sit in my lap. So I got to hold her for a good bit. Besides Gwen, this was my first personal encounter with children adopted from China. It was so great to see them all playing together. And it was so neat to realize that there really are a lot of people out there in my situation. I even met one mom who lives in my neighborhood. Man, if I didn’t have motivation to finish our paperwork before, I sure do now!

Is there anything you didn’t used to like but you do now? I used to hate tomatoes but now I love them. I feel the same way about Brian Austin Green. When he was on 90210 I couldn’t stand him. Now he’s on Freddie and cracks me up. I love him!

I’m working from home now. Not all the time, sometimes I still go into the office. But working from home is so awesome. I’m getting a lot done around the house in between work stuff. Funny though, now that I’m not consistently in an office I’m falling behind in my blog reading.

I’m getting a little better with my Chinese. Shannon and I listen to Pimsleur’s book on ipod trying to learn Chinese every time we’re in the car. So far I can say:
I’m an American. -Like that won’t be obvious.
I can speak English.
Excuse me
May I ask…
Hello
How are you
I’m well
I can’t speak well. – Duh.
I can speak a little Mandarin.
– Which is such a lie. They shouldn’t start out the book by teaching you to say I can speak Chinese. No I can’t. Amy at China East still doesn’t understand a word I say. You should end the book by learning I can speak Chinese. I love how they teach us to say I am an American. Like a couple big white people, me with bright blonde hair and a Southern accent, won’t stick out like a sore thumb!

I should have waited to tell anyone we’re adopting. Every. Single. Time. I see certain people they ask how it is going. Only because they are nice and care about us. But it takes so long. What was I thinking? And Amy at China East can’t understand what I’m saying in English or Chinese when I tell her we are still doing paperwork. I wonder how you say “I was too excited and couldn’t keep my trap shut” in Mandarin?

I am finally at liberty to announce that my Mom and Hale are engaged to be married! Christmas Eve Hale asked us girls if it would be alright if he asked our mom to marry him. He then turned to Mom and got down on one knee. It was so sweet! I couldn’t blog about it until the entire family/friends were notified. We are currently planning a destination wedding for this summer. So exciting!

Dude, no one told me how much my stitches would itch. I’m in itchy agony over here! They are driving me nuts. I don’t even hurt anymore, other than when the dogs pounce on me or if I roll over on my stitched side, but the itching, OH SWEET JESUS the itching. I swear I either need to drink away the itch or take a brillo pad to my side. I’ve been trying to apply a little anti itch cream periodically and that helps, for maybe an hour. I heard that itching means healing, and that’s good, but I don’t get my stitches out until the 9th people! I don’t think I’ll make it! Now, where is my rake? That oughta do it!

I visited Sara and the boys today and made sure to capture Jake naming his utensils on video. I make a dvd for them each year and this is just too cute not to have forever. We know it isn’t right and we’re teaching him to say FORK instead of F@#& but this is still pretty forking cute.

Happy Year of the Dog! Ike and Kea are pleased that this is their year! My inlaws came over today and brought money in a red envelope and a little gift in a red bow. I love how in to all the Chinese culture they are. My MIL runs a library and for story time this week she had all the kids make little year of the dog dragons like they use in the parades. But instead of a dragon head she had me draw a dog head. It turned out really cute and the kids loved it. I’m so excited that my girls will have grandparents who are all about learning their culture.

Susan’s baby shower for little Miss Olivia was today and it was fabulous. It was so great seeing her and she got lots of wonderful things for the baby. The blanket Susan is holding in that picture is the one I made her. I’m so excited for her and can’t wait til she’s home from China with Olivia! And it is always fun to have bloggy girls together! Here we are- Susan, me, Karen, and Shannon.

Y’all are so sweet! Thank you for all the sweet comments, words of encouragement and get betters. I thought it was extra sweet some of you thought I was having a good hair day. Funny, cause that was the day before my hair appointment. I should have waited an extra day to get cut into and y’all would have been blown away by my hotness.
**Seymour update: I’m all bruised around my stitches now. My middle feels so much better. I don’t feel like I’ve been kicked by a mule anymore. But getting in and out of a car is still a pain, as is bending over. Oh, and it’s really fun when one of the pugs jumps on my belly. I’ve only needed to take a couple of the pain pills my dr. prescribed so that’s good. Changing the bandages is a bit of a chore since my skin has become raw where the sticky part of the bandaid sticks. My dr and other people have commented on how calm we are and how we’ve kept up a good sense of humor through this. Jon and I were talking about it. We’ve been through so much with me medically in the last few years that losing Seymour is nothing compared. Since we’ve been married I’ve had gum surgery, my tonsils and adnoids taken out, lost a fallopian tube when it twisted and became engorged (another surgery), a couple of d&c’s. and a couple of burst ovarian cysts. You just gotta take it all in stride. Oh and here is a picture of Seymour next to a quarter. He has shrunk a good bit since he first came out, but it still gives you a general idea.
So, yesterday Shannon and I went and had our hair done. Here is Shannon’s before: Here is her “during”: Scroll down for my before- the one of me in my lovely hospital gown. Here is my “during”: We forgot to take “afters” so I’ll take care of that tomorrow while we’re at Susan’s baby shower. But we must look at least semi fabulous because our hair lady told us we were sexy beeyotches when she was finished with us. Of course, she was being paid. Hmmmm…