Filed under: Princess
So mom decided I should get to write my own post for a change. She’s tired so today she is napping and I am at the computer.
I want you to know that Sweet Potatoes are the best thing EVER! Mommy won’t let me have more than one jar at a time, but I think I could eat at least two. She doesn’t seem to like it when I spit my food out, though. I don’t understand why. It’s so funny when tiny bits of my food fly from my mouth to her face. She keeps repeating the word “no”….I wonder what that means. It must mean I am pretty funny because every time she says it I just laugh and she eventually smiles.
I think mommy should pay a little more attention when Speedy says he is going to “play” with me. This morning he wanted me to play ball with him and didn’t seem to understand that when he throws the ball at my head, I can’t really move out of the way. All it does is knock me over and sometimes it makes me cry. But I’ll let you in on a little secret: It doesn’t hurt, I just like for mommy to pick me up and cuddle with me and she always does that when I cry.
Speedy is about the funniest person I know and he always makes me laugh. I like to inch my way over to his toys and put them all in my mouth! Sometimes he doesn’t like it when I do that, but he usually gives me something else to play with instead.
The most fun I have all day is on the changing table. Would someone out there PAAAHHHLEASE explain to my mommy that it IS TOO funny when I wiggle around while she tries to change me. It’s a game, she just doesn’t know it.
And while you’re at it, tell her to stop feeding me squash. Have you ever tried that stuff? Now that I’ve had fruit, I’ll leave the squash for the babies.
Princess
Filed under: Uncategorized
You’ve all seen links to different products show up on blogs from time to time. For every click the blogger gets a set amount of money,etc…. Have you heard about this type of ads on blogs? The basic premise is that you get paid to blog about certain companies or products or whatever advertisers want you to blog about. Crazy, huh?
Even crazier is the man who started it all, Ted Murphy. I think Murphy is an ex-con who learned about the internet while in prison. He ran all the online personals for his fellow inmates and decided to take that knowledge and use it to start over when he was released. Is that true? Come on, I wouldn’t lie to you for a buck, would I? 
Today was the most beautiful day we’ve had in a loong time, here in the hot zone. It only got up to about 92 degrees but the humidity was low so it was wonderful. We spent most of our day outside and Speedy slept like a rock at naptime!
It’s supposed to get down to 67 tonight, which is about like wintertime here in Houston. I just can’t believe it! I know you are bored out of your mind reading about the weather, but I’m too excited to not write it. So deal. 
Princess started talking today. No actual words, but she is definitely using her consonant sounds now and used them for about fifteen minutes straight in the car. She’s going to have the gift of gab – I have no IDEA where that may come from. ?
I’m sure we won’t hear it again for a couple of weeks. That is her usual style, she’ll do something new for a day and then seems to forget about it for a couple of weeks. I’m trying to teach her some sign language, though I have no idea when she might actually be able to sign back to me. Just the basics right now : “eat” and “all done”. OH, and I should add that this girl LIKES her some baby food. I mean, she is all but eating the spoon these days.
Today was the most beautiful day we’ve had in a loong time, here in the hot zone. It only got up to about 92 degrees but the humidity was low so it was wonderful. We spent most of our day outside and Speedy slept like a rock at naptime!
It’s supposed to get down to 67 tonight, which is about like wintertime here in Houston. I just can’t believe it! I know you are bored out of your mind reading about the weather, but I’m too excited to not write it. So deal.
Princess started talking today. No actual words, but she is definitely using her consonant sounds now and used them for about fifteen minutes straight in the car. She’s going to have the gift of gab – I have no IDEA where that may come from. ?
I’m sure we won’t hear it again for a couple of weeks. That is her usual style, she’ll do something new for a day and then seems to forget about it for a couple of weeks. I’m trying to teach her some sign language, though I have no idea when she might actually be able to sign back to me. Just the basics right now : “eat” and “all done”. OH, and I should add that this girl LIKES her some baby food. I mean, she is all but eating the spoon these days.
Filed under: Speedy
“Elmo needs to go pee pee on the potty.”
I followed not far behind SPeedy and got to the bathroom just in time to watch Elmo get a swirly. Now I have a toilet water drenched headed Elmo and a son who doesn’t understand why Elmo can’t come back and play.
Filed under: Uncategorized
when you are trying to get everyone ready to get out the door in the morning:
“Mommy! Have poo-poo on fingers!”
Filed under: Uncategorized
when you are trying to get everyone ready to get out the door in the morning:
“Mommy! Have poo-poo on fingers!”
Filed under: Uncategorized
Here are two new sites, set up by Claudia at www.fletcherclan.blogspot.com (sorry, I can’t get links to work today) that you will find interesting and informative!
She describes them below:
The first is “www.adoptionblogcentral.com I want this to be a place where people can find links to many different adoption blogs. I also want it to be a place where people who have read good blog entries can email me so that I can tell other people about them. I would like it to be a collection, so to speak, of some of the best written blog entries about adoption as well as a place to link to many other great adoption blogs. So, if you have ideas, or want your blog included, email me or comment here. Right now it is plain and ugly, but as time goes on you’ll see improvements.
2) The second I am really excited about as well. www.adoptionthinktank.blogspot.com . It is my goal to connect therapists, child protection workers, foster and adoptive parents, homestudy workers, speakers, specialists, etc. to discuss pertinent ideas and issues. I hope to gather enough people who are willing to respond to questions to include an “ask a professional” link and an “ask a parent link.” I would love to see all of the people I have met in this field from every arena getting together and connecting to discuss issues on how we can make things better for kids — by changing the way we parent, by changing the system a little better, by changing the way we practice social work, etc.
Filed under: Speedy
Not when the imitator is a two year old and the imitatee is his mommy. I say so many wonderful things to him all day long, “Great job, Speedy……You can do it……I love you……Wow, that’s super!…..” so why is it that when he mimics me, he only says the things I say when I am correcting his behavior?
There’s this STUPID little bitty plastic person in his playroom and he calls it mommy. Just now, I heard him “talking” to mommy and he was saying: “Lay DOWN! ……. Look at me……LOOK at MEEE………LAY DOWN……..Una staAnd? Una staAnd?”
Geez. Of all the things……
33 days until we go back to court for the TPR (termination of parental rights) hearing. It’s still a mixed bag for me, excitement coupled with sadness at a family falling apart.
No, that’s not entirely true. I no longer believe in families “falling” apart, I believe people choose to divide their families. I think it is what is happening with Princess and Speedy’s birthparents – they have made a choice to not work to get their children back. They haven’t even tried.
How am I going to tell my sweet little Princess that her birthmommy never even made an attempt to get her back? How will I look in Speedy’s face when he is older and tell him that they didn’t do ONE THING in their case plan? Don’t get me wrong, because they don’t seem capable of getting it together, I’m grateful they didn’t work their plans. Grateful, because hopefully it will speed the whole process along some.
But it would be nice if I could one day say, “honey, they tried. They really, really tried but they were just too sick…or too deep into their addictions….” I’ll always tell them that they came to visits. I’ll tell them about the smiles on their birthparents’ faces when they saw SPeedy and Princess. I’ll tell them how they use to rush out to the car to greet them when we pulled into the parking lot.
It’s something.
33 days until the next step in the proces to making a permanent plan for our SPeedy and Princess. If all goes as planned I know I will shed tears that day – both of joy and of sadness, of gratefullness and of loss.
Like I said, it’s a mixed bag.
On a completely different subect, I’ve been teaching Speedy to give smoots. You know, where you put your lips on someone’s face but instead of kissing, you make a pooting noise. (sorry, there really isn’t any other way to explain it) Anyway, I give them to him all the time and today, he started giving them back. Only he doesn’t quite get the idea and he ends up kinda makin’ out with my face…….and it is REALLY gross.
Filed under: Princess
I almost forgot to tell you about my sweet little Princess. She stayed with my MIL all day today and Speedy and I picked her up after “school”. When I walked in, she grinned from ear to ear and waved her arms up and down. Granny sat on the couch with her and I walked over and kissed her, but left her sitting on Granny’s lap. As I was turning to go sit on the other couch, Princess got the BIGGEST frown on her face and was about to cry. So I went back and got her and she laughed. It was adorable. I know one day it won’t be so adorable, but this was the first time she’s done that!
Filed under: Uncategorized
Okay, so today was day one of this year’s Mother’s Day Out and Speedy actually slept! Yes, you read that correctly, HE SLEPT at MDO! Woo Hoo for Speedster! He cried when I left him there but he settled down pretty quickly. I felt a little guilty – there were several moms wiping away tears up and down the halls and I felt like I should have felt bad. BUT I DIDN’T! I knew he would have a lot of fun and I knew he’d be just fine. I also knew I’d have some fun…..hee hee hee
So anyway, I talked to Brigitte after the kids had been there for a couple of hours and she filled me in on what she’d accomplished. But you want to know what her FAVORITE thing was? And this is a quote, or almost anyway, “My favorite thing I’ve done today is poop!” Geez, Brig, you gotta get out more.
I asked Speedy if he had fun and he said, “yeah”. I said, “do you want to go back next week?” and He said, “YESSSSSSSSSSS!” So I guess he liked it.
What did I get accomplished on my first MDO day? Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero. And it was fantastic.
Filed under: Speedy
Mr. Speedy stays in bed in the morning and after naps until daddy-o or I go in to get him. He has only gotten out of bed twice when we put him down and so we have felt pretty lucky about him staying in there.
This morning, however, that may have changed. He came into our room this morning when I didn’t go to his room quickly enough. I’m okay with him coming to our room to get me in the mornings, but I’m afraid of what may happen if he leaves his room and doesn’t come directly to mine.
Maybe I should put bells on his door or something.
Then, just a few minutes ago, I heard him in the bathroom. In the time it took me to go throw away his dirty diaper, he had climbed up into the sink, gotten some bubbles and was blowing them – thankfully, over the sink.
I’m in SOOOOO much trouble here. For those of you laughing, STOP.
You see, he used to not be able to even reach the sink to climb up there, but he realized the other day that if he stacked two of his steps on top of each other, it was the perfect size to give him the boost he needed. HE’s also discovered that he can take those steps into the kitchen and reach things on the counter in there.
Filed under: Speedy
Mr. Speedy stays in bed in the morning and after naps until daddy-o or I go in to get him. He has only gotten out of bed twice when we put him down and so we have felt pretty lucky about him staying in there.
This morning, however, that may have changed. He came into our room this morning when I didn’t go to his room quickly enough. I’m okay with him coming to our room to get me in the mornings, but I’m afraid of what may happen if he leaves his room and doesn’t come directly to mine.
Maybe I should put bells on his door or something.
Then, just a few minutes ago, I heard him in the bathroom. In the time it took me to go throw away his dirty diaper, he had climbed up into the sink, gotten some bubbles and was blowing them – thankfully, over the sink.
I’m in SOOOOO much trouble here. For those of you laughing, STOP.
You see, he used to not be able to even reach the sink to climb up there, but he realized the other day that if he stacked two of his steps on top of each other, it was the perfect size to give him the boost he needed. HE’s also discovered that he can take those steps into the kitchen and reach things on the counter in there.
We had such a great visit this past Saturday with Princess and Speedy’s paternal grandparents, great-grandma and great-aunt. I had forgotten that the exterminator was coming to our house that morning so when the doorbell rang, I said, “I wonder who that is.” Speedy takes off running full speed to the front door screaming, “PIZZA MAN!!!! PIZZA MAN!!!!”
I just laughed and looked at everyone and said, “Well, I guess you now know I don’t cook very often.”
We had such a great visit this past Saturday with Princess and Speedy’s paternal grandparents, great-grandma and great-aunt. I had forgotten that the exterminator was coming to our house that morning so when the doorbell rang, I said, “I wonder who that is.” Speedy takes off running full speed to the front door screaming, “PIZZA MAN!!!! PIZZA MAN!!!!”
I just laughed and looked at everyone and said, “Well, I guess you now know I don’t cook very often.”
Filed under: Speedy
I was on the phone this afternoon and Speedy was in the room with me. Then he left and didn’t come back, which is very unusual so I went looking for him. Evidently, I had forgotten to lock the pantry door and he was sitting on the kitchen floor eating a granola bar. I won’t tell you how old it probably is.
Anyway, I look at him and he looks up like, “what?” I just laughed and then he smiled and said, “yummy.” I asked him if he really liked it or if he just liked it because he got it himself and he said, “I like it I got MYSELF!!!” ha ha ha
Then, as I was walking out of the kitchen he said, “Mommy! Need milk!”
Filed under: Princess
Well, I’m sad to report that there are no visible teeth this morning. Princess went to sleep last night at 7pm and slept until 7am this morning with no feedings. She usually gets a bottle before we go to bed around 10pm but not last night.
I’m not complaining. But this morning she wanted nothing to do with her food again. I don’t know if she took her bottle or not because I had to come to my office to get ready for my morning class. I just laughed and wished my mother in law good luck as I walked out of the kitchen.
Thankfully, my MIL is going to keep Princess all day Thursday while Speedy is at Mother’s Day Out. Which means I have no kids on Thursday! Woo Hoo! Of course, Speedy has a little cough this morning and all my luck, will be sick and not able to go to MDO. 
Here’s hoping it’s just allergies.
Filed under: Princess
Well, I’m sad to report that there are no visible teeth this morning. Princess went to sleep last night at 7pm and slept until 7am this morning with no feedings. She usually gets a bottle before we go to bed around 10pm but not last night.
I’m not complaining. But this morning she wanted nothing to do with her food again. I don’t know if she took her bottle or not because I had to come to my office to get ready for my morning class. I just laughed and wished my mother in law good luck as I walked out of the kitchen.
Thankfully, my MIL is going to keep Princess all day Thursday while Speedy is at Mother’s Day Out. Which means I have no kids on Thursday! Woo Hoo! Of course, Speedy has a little cough this morning and all my luck, will be sick and not able to go to MDO.
Here’s hoping it’s just allergies.
Filed under: Princess
…like a woman scorned? I don’t think so. Try, like a baby teething!
For heaven’s sake, I hope she is teething. If this is a new twist in her personality I think I’m in for a slow, torturous death. I know I’m supposed to feel sorry for her and everything, and I do for about the first 5 minutes of the agonizing screaming and fussing. But let’s face it, I’m only human. I can only take so much. And evidently, for me, five minutes is “so much.”
I mean really. enough with the blood curtling screams. I get it. You hurt. Must you make me hurt, too?
Ahhh…the joys of motherhood. I know why God gave us a sweet, happy baby who never cried much. He knew that I just could not handle it. God knew if He gave us a fussy baby that I would have given her back. No, relax. I’m only kidding. Mostly.
She is still so sweet. She tries to smile when she has tears running down her face and it does break my heart. The good news is that she likes to cuddle and as long as I’m cuddling with her she seems to be able to tolerate whatever it is that is ailing her. I’m praying for a tooth in the morning.
But something tells me we’ve a ways to go yet.
Filed under: Princess
…like a woman scorned? I don’t think so. Try, like a baby teething!
For heaven’s sake, I hope she is teething. If this is a new twist in her personality I think I’m in for a slow, torturous death. I know I’m supposed to feel sorry for her and everything, and I do for about the first 5 minutes of the agonizing screaming and fussing. But let’s face it, I’m only human. I can only take so much. And evidently, for me, five minutes is “so much.”
I mean really. enough with the blood curtling screams. I get it. You hurt. Must you make me hurt, too?
Ahhh…the joys of motherhood. I know why God gave us a sweet, happy baby who never cried much. He knew that I just could not handle it. God knew if He gave us a fussy baby that I would have given her back. No, relax. I’m only kidding. Mostly.
She is still so sweet. She tries to smile when she has tears running down her face and it does break my heart. The good news is that she likes to cuddle and as long as I’m cuddling with her she seems to be able to tolerate whatever it is that is ailing her. I’m praying for a tooth in the morning.
But something tells me we’ve a ways to go yet.
Filed under: Uncategorized
You’d think with the TPR trial coming up in just 37 days that we’d be feeling more confident than ever about our future with Speedy and Princess.
So where is this fear coming from? I feel it growing in my heart, little by little, and it sucks. I’m just ready for it to all be over with. I want a piece of paper in my hands that says they are legally ours. I don’t want to worry about someone else stepping in at the last minute and deciding to take over. It sucks.
Oh, all right. I’ll stop my whining. Honestly? I don’t know how people do this. But THANK GOD they do.
It’s just that although I have complete faith in God, and I trust that His plan is in the works and I’m confident in HIM, I feel like I’m also holding my breath. Is that a contradiction? HOw can I be “confident” while I’m emotionally holding my breath? I guess I need to breathe in a little more HIm and a little less everything else.
Filed under: Uncategorized
You’d think with the TPR trial coming up in just 37 days that we’d be feeling more confident than ever about our future with Speedy and Princess.
So where is this fear coming from? I feel it growing in my heart, little by little, and it sucks. I’m just ready for it to all be over with. I want a piece of paper in my hands that says they are legally ours. I don’t want to worry about someone else stepping in at the last minute and deciding to take over. It sucks.
Oh, all right. I’ll stop my whining. Honestly? I don’t know how people do this. But THANK GOD they do.
It’s just that although I have complete faith in God, and I trust that His plan is in the works and I’m confident in HIM, I feel like I’m also holding my breath. Is that a contradiction? HOw can I be “confident” while I’m emotionally holding my breath? I guess I need to breathe in a little more HIm and a little less everything else.
Filed under: Blogroll
I know, I know. I’ve posted more in the last few hours than I have all week. What can I say? I’ve finally found a few hours and some energy at the same time. I’ll spend all of next week trying to catch up on the sleep I’m losing now. Anyway, I’ve updated my blogroll on the left. I only have two categories, “Adoption” and “Blogroll”. Ya, I know. Real creative. But if you hover over the name of each, you will see a brief description of each blog. If you are not listed and would like to be, leave me a comment with your site. If you are listed and don’t want to be, leave me a comment. If you are listed and don’t like your tagline, leave me a comment and tell me what you want it to say.
Filed under: Princess
Princess was doing so well with eating baby food up until a few days ago. It’s like suddenly she just has no interest in it and does more fussing and reluctant eating than anything else.
Today, I tried warming her food a little more and that seemed to help – which only goes to show you what a true little diva she is. But I’m starting to think it isn’t so much the temperature as the aptitude that is making a difference. (hey, I used a big word. I wonder if I used it correctly. If not, let me live in my own glory, will ya?)
You see, today I gave her a sippy cup for the first time at lunch. It is one of the soft tip kind made especially for babies. She wasn’t too interested when I put it up to her mouth but she liked playing with it. At dinner, I offered it to her again and she put up quite a fight when I brought it to her mouth so I just put it back down in front of her.
AND THEN SHE PICKED IT UP. And brought it directly to her own mouth ALL BY HERSELF. And I SWEAR she was telling me “see, I can do it MYSELF.” I don’t know if she actually got any liquids out of it, but she was giving me some seriously evil eyes. I really think I should change her name to little miss independence. She then grabbed the spoon and put it in her mouth while giving me the same rebellious look.
I’m screwed, aren’t I?
PS Yesterday, she came very close to pushing herself up to a sitting position from the floor. Why does it all have to happen so fast?
Today is Friday.
I’m sure you already know that because you probably have fairly normal sleep patterns that don’t involve jumping out of bed and blindly running through the dark to search and rescue a lost pacifier in the corner of a crib. I didn’t realize it was Friday until I called Daddy-O (yes, this is now his official and his last pseudo name) and he asked me if I’d heard from the caseworker. It was about 9:30am.
Our visits with Princess and Speedy’s birthparents used to be every Friday morning at 9am and today marked the SEVENTH week in a row that they have not shown up. And I forgot it was Friday. I FORGOT! Woo Hoo!
While I still think it is unbelievable sad that BM and BF haven’t even called CPS to check on their children, correction….OUR children, I am so grateful that I don’t have to trek down to the office every Friday anymore.
I’m grateful that Speedy and Princess aren’t living in some nasty, run down apartment without a phone and probably without much in the way of food in the fridge. I’m glad they aren’t being left alone while their birthparents get high. I’m glad I don’t know and can’t even imagine what else that lifestyle may have meant for them.
I’m glad today is Friday. I still stand amazed at God’s working in our lives. I don’t understand everything about how God works, nor do I want to. But I know that He knew long ago that these babies would need new parents and He prepared daddy-o and I for that role.
As I’ve been spending some time lately agonizing over how fast they are growing - and we’ve only had them seven months – I can’t help but wonder what God has in store for their futures? I’m not talking about the next few years, I’m talking about their adult lives? What is it He has for them to do? Who will they become?
And the scarier question is what am I doing now to allow God to mold who they will become?
Joys from this week:
Speedy saying the prayer before dinner last night:
Speedy: Gaw is gwate
Me: Gaw is gwate
Speedy: Gaw is good
Me: Gaw is good
Speedy: Gaw is GWATE! (he likes to repeat this part)
Me: Yes, God, You are GREAT!
Speedy: Gaw is GOOD!
Me: Yes, God, You are GOOD. and then I am silent.
Speedy: Gaw take care daaa eeee ooo
Me: holding back tears, yes, God, please take care of daddy-o
Speedy: thank Sheshus food. AaaaaaaaMen!
Speedy learns a new song:
“Oh ma dawlin….oh ma dawlin….on ma dawlin Clem-men-time“
or when he adds variations, thanks to Gwammy.
“oh ma dawlin….oh ma dawlin….oh ma dawling Mommy-O”
Even on the most tiring, exhausting, and frustrating days, God sent me Speedy to keep me smiling.
Filed under: Day after day
Someday these kids will legally be ours.
Someday we’ll go on another vacation.
Someday Princess will be walking.
Someday Speedy will learn to swim.
Someday I’ll get to sleep all night long again.
Someday I’ll go back to NYC.
Someday I’ll write a book.
Someday I’ll volunteer at a shelter.
Someday ……….. sigh.
Some days, I don’t wanna wipe anyone else’s butt.
Some days, I DON’T WANT TO PLAY.
Some days, I just want to scream.
Some days, I want to lay on the couch and eat ice cream all day.
Some days, my patience seems to disappear.
Some days, I don’t want to be a wife or a mommy, I just want to be me.
Some days, I need a little more quiet time.
Some days, I count to ten a thousand times.
Some days, I’ll scream if I have to stay in the house one more minute.
Some days, I want to go grocery shopping by myself.
Some days…….sigh.
But someday, Speedy and Princess will wiper their own butts, fix their own meals, and leave me alone way too often.
Someday they won’t want to play with mommy anymore because they’ll be busy with their own friends.
Some days, I just think about somedays and then those some days aren’t so bad.
Filed under: Hind Sight
Something dawned on me today.
I started blogging mid-May, 2005. We started praying only a short time before that for our children, whether born or unborn. I remember praying for God’s protection over them, for their physical safety, emotional safety, mental safety and spritual safety.
Today, I calculated when Princess was likely conceived, based on her estimated due date. It would have been towards the end of May, 2005.
It was only the beginning of March when we decided to pursue foster care adoption. On March 15 we went to an orientation for the agency we chose.
On May 19, we went to our first training class.
We started our training about the same time that Princess was conceived. It was when she was born, five weeks early, that CPS stepped in and took custody of both her and Speedy.
I call that Providential.
Filed under: Uncategorized
There is a table next to our couch that Speedy is not allowed to touch. If one of his toys ends up there, he isn’t even supposed to get it – he has to ask one of us to get it for him. On this table is a mirror, some tweezers and some fingernail clippers. He knows this is the “no touch” table and that everything on it is completely off limits.
This afternoon, we had this conversation:
Me: (holding up the telephone) Speedy, what is this?
Speedy: phone
Me: What is it for?
Speedy: Talkin’ to Gwammy
Me: (laughing and holding up the fingernail clippers) Speedy, what’s this?
Speedy: This.
Me: Well, what do you do with this?
Speedy: NO TOUCH IT!!!!!
